The Keeper Chronicles
by Lonestarr
Summary: There's more to My Sister's Keeper than the author was, initially, willing to write.
1. Playing Catchup

Disclaimer: I don't own "Danny Phantom". That's it.

The cold wind bit at the young man's features and tousled his dark hair. He huddled his coat to keep himself warm. His blue eyes threatened to burn a hole in the headstone before him. Its contents caused him to choke up:

"Jasmine Elizabeth Fenton

1991-2007

A good student

a loving daughter".

He wished with all he was that it also read 'a caring sister'. To him, she was most certainly that.

He produced a white rose from within his coat and gently laid it on the dirt.

Tears welled up in his eyes. He wiped them away.

"Goodbye, Jazz. I'll miss you."

A few feet behind him stood what looked to be a pale specter of a teenaged girl. If one were to get personal, the girl would be about sixteen years of age. Her arms were folded and her pretty face was twisted into a derisive pattern.

"Geez, Danny, could you _be_ more melodramatic?"

The boy turned toward the ghost. "I'm not allowed to say goodbye to my sister? They wouldn't even let me attend the funeral."

"That's very flattering, Danny", the spirit offered, "but this is the third time this week you've been here!"

Danny shook his head. "What's your point?"

"My point is that Mom and Dad are worried about you. I was killed. Spectra was punished for it. Period. It's time to move on."

Danny turned to her, ready to contest her words. His harsh expression softened and he looked down.

"You're right, Jazz."

"Sure, I am. Now, come on. Let's go home."

Danny took her hand, his solid fingers passing right through her transparent ones. He slipped his hand away. "Sorry. Force of habit."

Jazz smiled at her brother. He walked off and she floated beside him.

XxXxXxXxX

"Does it hurt, switching between human and ghost?" The woman standing over Danny looked at him with wide, purple eyes.

He laid on a table with several pads on his body, all of which were all attached to machines. "Well, I'm more used to it, now, so…not really."

The blue suit-clad woman and the large man in orange had run a number of tests on Danny over the last few days. The young man reluctantly agreed to them; all he wanted after leaving juvenile hall was to continue his life as it was before entering it.

The man read the papers as they exited the machine. "It looks like everything is normal on this end."

Danny took a breath. "Mom, Dad…I know that you two are looking out for me, but do we really need to continue with these tests? It's like I told you: I'm fine."

"Danny…", the woman started. "…we're just concerned about you. I just wish we had been before, or this might never have happened."

"Mom, I don't want this to not happen. Ghosts have been invading Amity Park. This clearly happened to me for a reason. I have to fight them."

The woman banged her hand on a nearby table. "Danny! You don't have to do anything. No one is forcing you to fight ghosts. That's why your father and I are here." She started to break down in tears. "If you left one day and didn't come back…if your human half didn't come back…"

The man rushed to his wife's side. "Maddie, it's all right." His tone had the proper soothing effect on her. "It's all right."

Maddie cried into her husband's chest. "Oh, Jack…"

Danny sat up. "I'm sorry, Mom."

Jack looked over at his son. "I think that's enough testing for now. You can go, Danny."

The boy exhaled as he removed the pads from his body. He reached over to the table and as he grabbed his shirt, he hurried up the stairs.

Maddie wiped her eyes. Jack hugged her. "Are you all right, honey?"

"I'm all right", she stated before feeling a sudden pain in her right hand. "…though I could use a bandage for this hand." She rubbed it, hoping to ease the pain.

The couple laughed a little.

XxXxXxXxX

Danny lied on his bed, staring at the ceiling. A knock at the door broke him from his reverie.

__

"Can I come in?"

"Sure, Mom."

The door opened. Maddie walked over to Danny's bed and sat at the edge.

"Are you feeling all right?"

The boy took a breath. "I am now that I'm here, in my room. I cannot begin to tell you how much I missed this place."

"And I can't begin to tell you how much I like talking to you without two inches of glass between us."

Danny chuckled.

"Did you call Sam and Tucker and tell them the good news?"

"I want to, but they're grounded. Apparently, sneaking off to talk to a resident of juvie is something of a no-no in their parents' eyes. I think it'll be better if I tell them in school."

Maddie blanched at the word 'school'. Between her and Jack, there lingered some doubts about sending Danny back. She cleared her throat. "It would be a shame if you didn't see them. The three of you practically came out of the womb socializing."

Another chuckle from the young man. "I can't wait to go back to school." Danny's eyes widened. "Whoa. I _never_ thought those words could come out of my mouth."

Maddie let out a small moan. Her son picked up on it almost immediately.

"Mom, what does that mean?"

"What does what mean?"

"That little--" He tried to imitate it, but his lowering voice wouldn't let him anywhere near the pitch. "Well, that sound. I am going back, aren't I?"

"Danny, this may sound like an overprotective mother, but I'm worried about you out there."

"Mom", Danny started, sitting up in bed. "I can take care of myself. I've managed to do a good job all these months. And, I still don't believe I'm saying this…I need an education."

He met her worried gaze. He wasn't going to back down.

She hugged him tightly. "You can go back to school."

"Thanks, Mom."

Maddie let him go and stood up from the bed. She opened the door and disappeared behind it.

XxXxXxXxX

The sounds of the high school were quite distinctive: the opening and slamming of the metal lockers, the inane chatter of the less intellectually gifted, the scuffling of rubber shoes on marble tiles.

In one of the strangest ways, Danny missed it.

An African-American boy grabbed a couple of books from his locker. His attire was peculiar: boots, green cargo pants and a long-sleeved yellow shirt topped off by a red beret.

Danny put a hand to his mouth as he yelled out. "Tucker!"

The boy turned toward the voice. His ears perked up; only one voice sounded like that, but it couldn't have been…

"Danny!"

Caring very little for their social standing (and how much lower _could_ it get, right?), the young men rushed toward each other and hugged. After a moment, they looked in each other's eyes and quickly let go. A couple of awkward coughs and muttered statements later, Tucker moved his lips to speak.

"It's…good to see you, Danny."

Unwilling to give up on the physical showing of emotion, Danny patted his friend on the back. "Let me tell you, it's good to be seen." He looked around; something seemed to be missing. "So, where's Sam?"

Tucker walked toward a room. Danny met his stride. "I'm really sorry about not visiting for a while. My parents grounded me and pretty much cut me off from anything technological."

"That's too bad. Where's Sam?"

The African-American turned to face Danny. "It was such a nightmare. I can't even begin to tell you--"

Having had enough of Tucker's now-obvious waffling, Danny grabbed his arms. "Tucker, where is Sam?!"

Tucker groaned. "I really didn't want to be the one to tell you. I knew I would be, but I _really _didn't want to be."

Danny's grip tightened. "Tell me what?"

"I'm gonna need my arms back, first." Getting the hint, the angered boy let go of his friend's arms. Tucker adjusted his glasses.

"Now, what happened to her?" Danny leaned in close. "Did a…you-know-what get her?"

Tucker shook his head. "No, no. Sam's fine…as far as I know."

A look of confusion. "What do you mean, 'as far as you know'?"

"Remember when we told you about sneaking out of school that day? When we came back, Lancer gave us detention."

"Yeah, you mentioned that."

"Well, did I mention that Sam's parents were mad enough with the 'bad influence'…" Tucker motioned to Danny. "…to pull her out of Casper?"

Danny slid to the floor and knocked his head against the wall. Tucker looked down at his friend.

"I guess I shouldn't bother asking if you're all right."

Danny shot a glare at Tucker. Clearly, it was a lost cause.

XxXxXxXxX

The rest of Danny's day had managed to improve from that point. His schedule had been very much the same as before. The main difference was that he was able to focus on the work and, much to his surprise, answer some of the questions asked by the teachers. This was a big difference from when he tried to remain as invisible and unnoticeable as possible.

Another issue (though one that, with Tucker's help, he managed to distract himself away from) was the constant whisperings of his classmates. They'd heard any number of things about Danny: from 'he killed a guy who glanced at his sister' to 'he pushed his sister in front of a train'. And yet, they were all present for Jazz's unexpected public execution. It was almost as if, since Spectra's disappearance, they had no real recollection of what happened over a month ago.

Before Danny knew it, the school day was over. Before he could've walked out of the door, a somewhat paunchy middle-aged man hurried to stop him.

"Mr. Fenton?"

"Mr. Lancer?"

"I would like to talk to you for a moment."

Danny shrugged. "Okay."

XxXxXxXxX

The boy took a seat in front of the man's desk. He rubbed his arm; Danny almost never talked to the educator outside of class except for when he was in trouble. Wouldn't this have fit on his first day back.

"I heard about what happened at your trial. I feel just sick about the whole thing. I should've known that you would never bring any harm to your sister. I hope you can accept my deepest apologies."

"I do. I'm just happy that the truth came out."

By now, Danny noticed Mr. Lancer opening one of his desk drawers. "As you know, your sister Jasmine was one of our finest students. I figured that you would want to be the first to see it." The man pulled something out of the drawer and placed it on the desk. It was a wooden plaque with gold plates. The top one had an embossed picture of Jazz, while the bottom read:

"Jasmine Fenton

'Never stop trying'"

The boy's blue eyes watered at the plaque. "This is very nice." He wiped his eyes.

"It will be placed in the school's trophy case. Now, if there's anything you may need: free periods, leniency on class projects…"

Danny put his hand up. "No. I don't want any special treatment. I just want to get an education on my own merits."

Mr. Lancer smiled. "Jasmine would be so proud."

"I know." Danny glanced wistfully out of the window. "I know."

XxXxXxXxX

Danny kicked a rock down the street as he walked, his head barely raised past his shoulders. Tucker's bad news lingered in his brain like a poison. He was upset at the prospect of never seeing Sam again. He hadn't wanted to admit it to himself for a long time, but there were feelings for the girl that ran deeper than mere friendship.

Another kick sent the rock halfway across the street. Sometimes, he didn't know his own strength. He glanced up at the imposing structure next to him. It was the Manson Family home.

All of a sudden, his eyes widened, as if in a fit of realization. He knew that Sam was pulled out of Casper High…but no one ever said that Sam wasn't still at home.

Danny quickly ducked into an alleyway. As the coast was clear, he assumed ghost form and flew into the house.

XxXxXxXxX

No sooner was he inside the Manson home than he turned invisible. He flew down a long hallway, carefully dodging several servants and priceless vases placed in the corridor.

Danny peeked his head in what felt like fifty rooms (though it couldn't have been more than 42) before finding what he sought.

XxXxXxXxX

The predominant motif was black: the inside of the door, the walls, the plush carpet. The Rolling Stones song started up in his head as he took it all in.

Just then, the door opened.

Danny pressed himself flat against the wall.

The girl that walked in looked somewhat familiar to him, but it couldn't have been. For one thing, the girl he knew wore black. This girl wore a white blouse, a plaid skirt, knee high socks and Mary Janes, size 2. The top two buttons of the blouse were undone, which allowed a look at the black bra she had worn underneath. There were but the beginnings of a womanly bust, but this was enough to hold the young man's attention.

She dropped her backpack to the floor and sat on her bed.

"'Oh, new girl. How goes it? New girl, get out of the way'", she muttered as she kicked off her shoes. "I swear, girls can be such bit…" She stopped. Danny froze; could she somehow sense him in the room.

The girl pulled at her socks and yanked them off. She wiggled her petite toes and ran them along the carpet. "Oh, that's so terrific."

She stood up and bent over to massage her feet. This gave Danny a clear view of her rear end.

__

"That's a side of you I've never seen."

The girl stood up and turned toward the direction of the voice. She reached over to her backpack and tossed it at the voice. It seemed to hang in the air before Danny faded into view, holding it.

"Danny!" She ran over to him and hugged him. "I missed you so much." She let go.

"I missed you too, Sam." He glanced down at her uniform. "And clearly, I missed something else."

"Oh, this. They _make_ us wear them at that stupid school for 'Wicked, Wayward Girls'."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "So, there's a whole school of girls your age wearing this outfit?"

"Yeah. About half of them are older. It's a nightma--" Sam caught onto the edge in her friend's voice. "Don't even think about it, Danny Fenton."

"Think about what?"

Sam shook her head. "Oh, no. I'm not putting thoughts into your head."

"Well, it _is_ pretty crowded in there, already. Besides, all I've had to look at in the last month was Spectra. A guy can have trouble readjusting to women on the outside.

Sam snickered and rolled her eyes as she went into her closet. "By the way, what happened to her?"

Danny walked over and sat on her bed. "It's a long story. Jazz helped me catch her, but then it turned out that Spectra's lapdog was pretending to be Jazz. Then the _real_ Jazz shows up to help."

"Sounds crazy."

"It _was_ crazy."

Sam reappeared from her closet dressed in her black top and skirt. "That's better."

"I wouldn't call that better."

Having walked to her bed, Sam tossed a pillow at him. "Oh, grow up." Danny turned invisible, allowing the pillow to fly through him.

__

"Samantha, who are you talking to?"

The girl blanched. She turned her head to the door. "Nobody, Mom."

"Time for me to go?"

"Time for you to go. Tell Tucker I said 'hi'."

"You can tell him yourself. I'm coming back tomorrow." Sam stood up and looked ready to protest. "And before you say it's too risky, I'm not going to let a little something like this break up our friendship."

"That's nice, Danny, but I was about to say that you should wait a few minutes before bringing Tucker over. If _you_ reacted to my school uniform like that, I can only imagine what _he's_ gonna look like if he sees it."

Danny let out a nervous chuckle. "Good point." He shifted to ghost mode and flew from Sam's window. She followed him as he soared through the sky.


	2. New and Improved

A jar of green goop - the glowing properties could've easily identified it as ectoplasm - sat on a table in a courtroom. A pair of green eyes glanced out from the goop at the judge. The eyes had to maneuver past a label on the jar. The label read, in black lettering: PENELOPE SPECTRA.

After what she had done, Spectra was wanted in the Ghost Zone. One of the cardinal rules of the realm was that ghosts would only frighten humans or use them as leverage. They would never _kill_ them.

She and her associate, Bertrand, were placed on trial for Jazz's murder. A speaker was hooked up to the jar so that Spectra could testify. Her Dr. Phibes-like voice and speech pattern made the stenographer's job easier, but the testimony itself did very little to help her case.

As it turned out, Spectra's original death came as she confronted her mother about the path her life had taken: she wasn't very noticeable in school and, after extensive plastic surgery and a college degree in psychology, she became the woman formerly known to the students of Casper High. Her mother was upset that her daughter hadn't used her skills for good instead of evil. In the midst of a harangue, Spectra suffered a heart attack and died instantly. Not long after ending up in the Ghost Zone, she opened a private practice and counseled a number of incoming ghosts. One of them was an obsequious stump of a man - the very same that was currently on the stand - and the rest was history.

Even with the rift that the two of them had when Danny sought his revenge, Spectra had remained confident that Bertrand would save the day. However…

"…and she forced me to go along with it! She said, 'Think of it, Bertrand. We'll be young, forever'. I was under duress, your honor. I never wanted to kill that girl. It was all _her_ idea!"

Bertrand's arm was in a sling, due to the encounter with the Fenton Fisher. Spectra's eyes narrowed. If she wasn't a pile of ectoplasm, his arm wouldn't be the only part of his body that was broken.

The judge banged his gavel. "You may step down." He turned to the jury. "The fate of these ghosts is in your hands."

The ghosts in the jury box nodded and floated toward a back room.

XxXxXxXxX

It had been a mere twenty minutes since the jury retired to deliberate. They returned to the courtroom, refusing to cast a glance at the accused.

The foreman looked up at the judge. "Your honor, we find the defendants guilty."

The courtroom erupted in chatter. Bertrand groaned. Spectra's eyes sunk into her body.

__

"Quite an interesting story."

XxXxXxXxX

"I'm still a little shocked that you'd sell Spectra out, though." Jazz looked around the office, which had wall-to-wall bookshelves. She ran a finger along the faux-mahogany desk toward the back.

"I never liked her anyway. She never bathed." Jazz was taken aback by this; she never knew that ghosts could bathe…but then again, if they can wear slings… "But I like you."

Jazz eyed Bertrand suspiciously. "Okay. That's a good start. You know, now that I think about it, I might need an assistant of my own."

"Really? For what?"

"Well, I've thought about opening my own psychology practice, and since I can't really do that on Earth, I could do it here."

"Yeah." Bertrand looked up nervously. "I guess an apology won't do a whole lot."

Jazz shook her head. "Not really…though there is something you can do."

"What's that?"

"I need someone to handle the day-to-day of this place; arranging appointments and so on."

He nodded. "I can do that."

"No offense, but the officious butler look isn't going to work. What do you have in a younger model?"

Without a word, Bertrand changed form. The result caused Jazz to stare with her mouth hanging open. The new form was a vision of masculinity, from his flowing locks to his million dollar smile to his bulging muscles. "Do you like?", he said in a deep voice.

Jazz quickly shook her head and cleared her throat. "Y-- no. That form would be too much of a distraction. I want to focus on helping people, not heaving pecs."

"Your loss."

"What about a younger, female model?"

"Well, if that's what you want…?" Bertrand let out a groan that rose in pitch until it sounded feminine. The hair darkened, the muscles puffed out and the face re-arranged itself. If Spectra had been a brunette with blue eyes and a normal hairdo, she would've looked the way Bertrand did now.

Jazz gave an approving nod as she held something behind her back. "Much better."

"I'm glad you like it."

Jazz walked toward the new female. "I love it." She eased herself behind the new form, resting her chin on her shoulder. "You know, Bertrand is all wrong for a form like this. I'm thinking…Bettina."

"Be…ttina. Sounds nice." Bettina had to admit being nervous at the closeness she was experiencing. Spectra never got this close to her old form; theirs was a 'look, but don't touch' relationship. "I could get to like it."

"I hope so." Jazz locked what looked like an oversized belt around Bettina's wasp-like waist.

"What's this?"

Jazz folded her arms. "A little insurance policy. Part of the conditions of your sentence."

"Wait. The judge knows about this?"

"He was the first person I suggested it to. By the way, don't bother getting that thing from around your waist. Only I know where the key is."

"It's not some sort of shock collar kind of thing, is it?"

"Only if you try to get it off, and even then, it's only minimal."

"What is this thing?"

"It's something that keeps you from changing form. I had my parents whip it up. My brother didn't really like being the test subject, but we didn't exactly have other options."

"So I'm stuck like this?"

"Only until the end of your sentence. The six years should go by like that." Jazz snapped her fingers to emphasize the point.

"I don't believe this." Bettina put a hand to her head. "This has to be a bad dream."

"There will be plenty of time to test that theory tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"I've got patients to see. So many souls in the Ghost Zone are in need of help, but we need to be organized. You know these folks pretty well, don't you?"

"Well, sure I…" Bettina shook her head. "No. I'm not going to gather patients for you."

"Fine. You don't want to help? That's fine. You want your sentence extended? That's also fine."

Bettina waved her hands up. "No! No!" She lowered her head. "I'll help you."

"Wonderful." Jazz guided Bettina to the waiting room.

"How could you be so underhanded?"

Rather than indulge her new secretary with an obvious statement, Jazz merely shot her an annoyed glance.

XxXxXxXxX

One would've thought that the spacious residence that lay in the heart of Wisconsin was home to a big family, or, perhaps, a way-_way_-off campus fraternity house.

Unusually, it belonged to one man. The man, whose silver hair was tied in a ponytail, was reading a newspaper in his study.

One story, in particular, caught his eye. In the 'Around the Country' section, the headline read, 'young man exonerated in murder case'. By itself, that would've merited a cursory glance, but the first sentence compelled him to read:

"'Danny Fenton, 14, had served time in juvenile hall for the murder of his sister, Jasmine, 16. However, a piece of evidence in the re-trying of the case implicated his appointed psychologist, Penelope Spectra, who, as it turned out, was a ghost.'"

The man set the newspaper at his side. "How very intriguing."

XxXxXxXxX

"136."

"Correct. Now, who can tell me the answer to question 27?"

Danny couldn't help but beam. He hadn't been inclined to answer questions before. Barring the obvious teasing that would come from the less intellectually stimulated, he, more often than not, didn't know the answers. Jazz would often encourage him to study and try his best. Last night, during a rare lull in ghost sightings, Danny did just that. Working through the various equations, he was surprised to find how…easy they were to figure out.

As giddy as he felt, he ducked down in his chair. He'd answer another question when the time was right.

XxXxXxXxX

Danny walked down the hall, a slight smile on his face. Tucker walked up to him.

"You're looking happy. You get a shot of nitrous oxide?"

"Nope. I'm just feeling…good. Honestly and genuinely good."

"Well, that's…good, I guess."

"Tuck, what time is it?"

He checked his PDA. "About a quarter to noon."

Danny eyed his African-American friend. He couldn't understand why Tucker couldn't use a watch like everyone else. Of course, vocalizing that thought would lead to a lengthy lecture about how his PDA can perform over ten times as many features as a mere watch, and there were only so many hours in the day.

"It's getting pretty close to lunch."

"Sounds good to me."

XxXxXxXxX

As usual, the cafeteria was rife with chattering students, who needed something to take their minds off of their school lunches.

On Tucker's tray was the usual: a double helping of whatever meat-based product was served up. Today's special: meatloaf.

On Danny's tray was something unknown to his daily eating routine. The predominant color was green, though it bore distinct traces of red, orange and purple. Tucker grimaced as he looked at it.

"That looks hideous. I can't imagine why you'd get that."

"Hey, I can have this or meatloaf and I can't get both."

"I'd like to think that one of us made the right choice." The edge in Tucker's voice made it clear that he was referring to himself. "Besides, you've never eaten…that, before."

"Aren't our parents always telling us to try new things?"

"I guess. I usually let it sail out the other ear."

"Well, I'm trying this, like it or not."

"I'm leaning heavily towards 'not', thank you." The two boys sat at an empty table.

"Geez, Tuck. It's just a salad. Sam eats them all the time."

"Exactly: _Sam_ eats them all the time."

"I think she'd want me to give them a try." Danny planted a fork into the crisp lettuce and ate a mouthful. He chewed on it for a few moments and swallowed. He looked less than satisfied.

"How was it?

"I think it needs a little dressing." Danny got up and rushed back toward the lunch line. In his zeal, he knocked over a student who, themselves, was getting up from their chair. One of considerably greater size than him…wearing a letterman jacket.

"Hey, watch where you're going!", the aggrieved victim started before getting a good look at the person across from them on the floor. "Oh, Fenton, hey."

"Hello, Dash." Danny was too distracted by being on the floor to notice that the blonde bully had called him by his last name; no mocking appellations. The quavering nature of Dash's tone also escaped him.

"Oh, did you fall? Let me help you." To Danny's utter shock - surprise is far too weak - Dash stood him on his feet and dusted him off. "I guess we should be more careful next time." As Danny walked back to the lunch line, Dash sat in his seat.

From the snatches of conversation that Danny caught to and from the line, Dash and his tablemates were still shaken by the rumors of Danny's time in juvenile hall. A part of him wanted to correct the jocks on what went on, but a larger part, the one that hated being beaten up, overruled it.

Danny sat down at his table and emptied a packet of ranch dressing over his salad. He took another forkful and stuffed it in his mouth.

"How now, brown cow?"

"Delicious."

"Who could've guessed?"

Danny stabbed at more lettuce and pointed the fork at Tucker. "Have some?"

"Maybe later." Tucker put a hand up.

XxXxXxXxX

"So this is your room, huh, Sam?"

"Pretty much. Surprised?"

"Not very." Tucker admired the bleakness of Sam's room, if for no other reason than it fit her perfectly.

Sam wore her regular skirt and shirt. She and Danny exchanged glances more than likely about the previous day's visit; there would be no mention of the school uniform while Tucker was around.

"So, how is that new school of yours?"

"Imagine Paulina. Now increase her attitude and stuff a school full of girls like her and you've got it."

"Ouch. Still, a school full of Paulinas…" When Tucker allowed his mind to wander, it could take a while to come back. The dreamy expression on his face cemented this theory.

Danny turned back to Sam. "So, how was your day?"

"Different from yesterday. It rained, for one thing."

"Good thing you got home before it got too wet."

Sam sat on her bed. "Yeah. How 'bout you?"

Danny joined her. "My day went pretty well. I answered some questions in class, Dash was nice to me, I ate a salad…" He nearly whispered this last fact almost as an afterthought.

Given the crushing hug that Sam wrapped him in, the volume of his voice wasn't low enough. "Didn't I tell you to give new things a try?"

"I'm sure I heard that somewhere."

Sam quickly let go of Danny. He dropped to the bed. "What--?" She covered his mouth. Footsteps shuffling outside her door. She glanced over at Tucker. Quietly living it up in Paulinaland.

"I think it's time to go."

"How do you know it's your mom?"

"I don't, but you never can tell." She tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Plus, I really like these little visits."

"Me too." They glanced up at each other. Danny grabbed the prone Tucker and, turning them both invisible, flew out of Sam's room.

She watched them land on the street. "Bye", she said as she waved.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Danny walked up the street. He mused about his friends. Sam refused to let a simple school re-assignment change her way of thinking, and Tucker…he was distracted by a pretty face, if not the concept of a school of them.

He could see his house at the end of the block. Of course, one could see the structure from several miles. It always gave him a good feeling to know that he was never far from home.

Danny hiccupped slightly. In the process, a small stream of blue light came from his lips.

He turned around suddenly. A blue light coming out of his mouth usually meant that a ghost was ready to attack. He glanced in every direction. There was nothing of a threatening nature to be found.

Danny shrugged. If there was nothing there…

He walked toward his house…unaware of the pair of red eyes staring at him from out of nowhere.

XxXxXxXxX

The hours seemed to pass like minutes as Danny completed his homework. He felt that he owed that much to his sister.

He took a cautionary glance out of the window. Maybe whatever he felt earlier (or thought he did) was back. It was just the same old view of buildings and the starry sky.

Danny gathered his papers together and placed them in his backpack. He set the backpack next to his bed. He laughed a little. He didn't want to be one of those types that pretty much did their school work all the time, even if it was for Jazz. He wanted to have a life, too.

Another hiccup brought forth a stream of blue. Danny glanced out of the window.

From out of the darkness came a pair of red eyes and a devious smile.

Danny reared back somewhat. Of all the sights that should greet him…

The mouth that housed the smile spoke in a smooth, confident voice. "Hello, Daniel."


	3. Visitation Rights

Danny stared at the red-eyed being. "Vlad. I'm sorry, but I can't come out and play. I'm gonna talk with my parents, maybe grab a snack. You know, have a life." The red eyes narrowed to slits. "You might want to look into that."

The boy walked away. Vlad moved closer. "Do you really think you can ignore me?"

Danny turned around slightly. "Vlad, I'm not trying to ignore you. I…" He thought for a moment, before nodding his head. "…no. No. That's exactly what I'm doing."

Enraged, Vlad phased through the window and charged Danny. Though in the man's grasp, Danny quickly became invisible, leaving the wall undamaged.

XxXxXxXxX

Maddie glanced toward the high ceiling of the basement. "Jack, did you hear something?"

The man was tinkering with a mechanical project when he looked over at his wife. He cocked his head upward.

"No, I didn't."

"I hope that Danny is okay."

XxXxXxXxX

Having phased right through the outer walls of the house, Danny loosed himself from Vlad's grip. "What are you doing here, Vlad? You're not still hung up on my mom, are you? I kind of figured the sound of your own voice for the jealous type."

"My feelings for your mother notwithstanding, I'm simply here to pay a visit. I was kind enough to invite you into my home. The least you could do is return the favor."

"I'd rather not. A visit from you is something we could do without."

"Ending a sentence with a preposition. It's so nice to see that this town's sterling educational system is producing positive results." Danny refused to be shaken by this. He knew that once Vlad was inside his head, he wouldn't be in any hurry to move out. "By the way, Daniel, I heard about your sister's unfortunate passing. Jasmine will certainly be missed." Vlad shook his head. "Sibling rivalry can be an ugly thing."

Danny glared at his nemesis. "What are you getting at?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just nice to see you exonerated so you can begin your tireless, never-ending search for…" He raised his fingers to form air quotes. "…'the real killers'."

Danny gritted his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to rip the arrogant half-ghost to shreds…but he knew that Vlad would've, by now, anticipated such an action. The look of furious anger in Danny's glowing green eyes was not lost on Vlad.

"You take things so personally; much in the manner a child would. It's not going to affect your performance tonight, is it?"

The younger being steeled himself. As much as Vlad enjoyed these head games, he still respected when his adversary was at what he considered his best.

"Good for you, Daniel. I would hate to find that you let a past tragedy affect the way you live your life."

Now the ball was in Danny's court. "You mean like it has with you?"

This remark cut Vlad deeper than he would've liked. Though it was an accident on Jack's part that Vlad was blasted with ghostly energy, he still held the incident against his former college friend. What's more, his love for Maddie, also in their study group, burned with the persistence of a million light bulbs.

Still, he wasn't about to let Danny know of the remark's pain. "Daniel, your words wound me."

"My words are just the beginning."

Teeth bared, Vlad fired a blast at Danny. The younger being dodged it, but the tree he was in front of would certainly need replanting.

XxXxXxXxX

"Now, _that_ I definitely heard." Jack hurried up the basement stairs followed by his wife.

XxXxXxXxX

Jack and Maddie stared out of the window of their home. They almost couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was their son…their white-haired, black-suited son…and he looked to be doing battle with another ghost. Strangely, they had seen this ghost before. It had been at the college get-together a few months prior, which was hosted by Vlad Masters.

Even stranger, Vlad had disappeared and this ghost wrecked the proceedings.

"Jack, it's that ghost we saw in Wisconsin, and it's fighting my boy." Maddie grabbed her husband by the front of his hazmat suit. "We have to help him!"

The man glanced out and saw Danny kick Vlad away and fire a blast at him. "I don't know, Maddie. He seems to be doing fine on his own."

She gave her husband a look, one that said, 'Are you freaking kidding me?'. "Jackson Browne Fenton, if you think I'm gonna stand idly by while my son - _our_ son - gets hurt--"

"Maddie, I don't want Danny to hurt any more than you do, but if he can handle himself…" Danny took a blast to the chest…and Jack saw it.

He turned to Maddie. He stuck out a balled-up hand. "On three. One…" The woman balled her hand up. She knew where this was going. "…two…three."

One hand formed a pair of scissors, while the other was flat as paper. The scissor hand made a brief cut as it drew back.

XxXxXxXxX

Vlad grasped Danny by the front of his black suit. "Once again, you complicate a decision that even your imbecilic father could comprehend."

Danny glanced down. He saw the front door of his house burst open. Out charged Jack and Maddie, brandishing devices that closely resembled bazookas. This was due partially to the fact that they _were_ bazookas. He smiled at Vlad. "Speak of the devil."

The couple turned the weapons on, waiting for them to charge. This feature was very much like the safety on a firearm.

"Careful, Jack. We don't want to hit Danny."

"We wouldn't have to worry about that if we let Danny handle himself", Jack stated as he lined up his shot.

"There's time for that later."

Danny reached his hands under Vlad's arms and slapped them away, quickly moving out of harm's way. A clearer shot the couple could not have had.

Their weapons fired in unison. Twin blasts moving toward Vlad's ghostly form as if in slow motion. Unfortunately for the elder halfa, they weren't that slow.

They shot Vlad clean in the back, which elicited a loud yell from him.

More blasts, none quite as precise, fired at the being. Vlad pointed at Danny. "This isn't anywhere near over!"

"The war, maybe not, but this battle? Hell, yes", Danny muttered under his breath.

Vlad disappeared into the night sky. Danny floated to the ground. His feet weren't even on the ground when Maddie charged him, nearly knocking him down.

"Danny, are you all right? Are you hurt?"

He put a hand up. "I'm just fine, Mom."

"I'll be the judge of that." Maddie led Danny inside the house. After doing a quick sweep, Jack followed them.

XxXxXxXxX

Maddie looked into Danny's blue eyes. "Everything looks fine. How are you?"

"Like I said, I'm fine."

"I can't believe that that ghost attacked you. Why couldn't it stay in Wisconsin?"

"Not a bad question", Danny mused to himself.

Jack stretched out. "I guess that ghost took a lot out of us."

"Maybe we need to be getting to bed. Good night, Danny."

"Night, Mom. Night, Dad." The boy waved as his parents walked up the stairs. He looked out the window. The idea that Vlad knew where he lived was creepy enough. He didn't like being attacked on his own turf.

Danny turned toward the stairs and ascended them. He wasn't exactly sure how he'd best Vlad next time, but he knew it had to be done.

XxXxXxXxX

"Finally, I'm ready to begin my practice." Jazz, wearing one of Spectra's magenta suits, stood with her hands on her hips. She opened the door of her office, peeking out at Bettina.

"Would you please send in my first patient?"

"Yes, Dr. Fenton." Bettina rolled her eyes after making the statement. Her indentured servitude and gender reassignment had clearly made her irritable, but she wouldn't let her new employer become aware of that.

The assistant waved her arm, allowing a spirit entry into the office.

XxXxXxXxX

"And what troubles you?"

"The child." The spirit's low, menacing voice did little to rattle the practicing psychologist.

"What child? A child from your past?"

"The ghost child."

"Well, there are a lot of ghost children. This _is_ the Ghost Zone, after all."

"I'm talking about the boy who walks in both worlds: this one and the human world."

Jazz was sure that this being spoke of her brother. Looking at the snarl on the ghost's face and the imposing body armor it wore (but why in the world would a ghost need armor, Jazz thought to herself?), she thought better of pressing the issue.

"And what does this ghost child mean to you?"

"Notoriety. Being the ghost who captured the halfa will make me famous."

"Are you sure that you hate the child…or are you the child and you hate yourself?"

The ghost shook his head. "That's ludicrous. The ghost boy must be caught and mounted in my trophy case."

Following a quick mental 'ewww', Jazz crossed her legs and stared down at the ghost. "I really think that you ought to get out more."

"What do you mean?"

"Find someone with interests running parallel to your own; maybe, join a club."

"And what makes you think that this will help me?"

"It is clear to me that you have an obsession with hunting, especially this…'ghost child'. It's not healthy."

"And why should that matter? We're ghosts!"

"Point well taken, but I meant mentally. You'd be surprised at what results from taking a vacation from your troubles."

The ghost rose from the couch, extending a metallic finger and ready to protest. Instead, he turned away and looked to be deep in thought.

He looked Jazz in the eyes. His expression was a lot calmer than it had been. "Perhaps…a vacation is what I need."

Jazz smiled confidently. She was clearly pleased to have made a difference.

"Perhaps, we'll be seeing each other again." He stood to an incredible height, causing the psychologist to quietly gasp.

"Maybe…" Jazz floated up from her chair - something she wasn't entirely used to yet - and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just stay away from hunting, Skulker, and you'll do fine."

XxXxXxXxX

"Could you send in the next patient, please?"

"Fine."

Another ghost flew in. The dark glasses and shock of white hair caught Jazz's attention instantly.

"And who might you be?"

"I am Technus, master of all things electrical and technological!"

Jazz briefly stuck her finger in her ear. "Did you really need to deliver such a loud introduction?" She was still able to hear herself. That was a good sign.

Technus peered over his shades at Jazz. "What do you mean?"

"Couldn't you have just told me your name?"

"But then, how were you supposed to know what I do?"

"Well, not yelling it is a good start. You don't have many acquaintances, do you?"

"And how might you know this, young lady?"

"A tendency to be overbearing - whether in your proclamations or in trying to help someone…" Jazz quickly bit her lip. "…can push people away."

"So what do you suggest?"

"Dialing down the introductions. You're clearly a forthright…spirit. People like that. A little subtlety goes a long way."

Technus rubbed his chin. "That could work." He floated up from the couch and pumped a finger into the air. "Look out, Ghost Zone! A newer, subtler Technus is here!"

"That's not what I meant!" Jazz hurried after him, but he was already gone. She sighed deeply; Rome wasn't built in a day, after all.

XxXxXxXxX

__

"Are you really considering telling your parents about Vlad? It sounds like it might be dangerous?"

Danny held the phone in his hands as looked through his blinds. "It _is_ dangerous, Sam. And he thought nothing of bringing the fight to my home." He walked toward his bed. "Now that I think about it, it's dangerous _not_ to tell them. Who knows what he might plan? He's still got it bad for my mom."

__

"You're gonna have a plan for afterwards, right?"

Danny raised an eyebrow. "'Afterwards'?"

__

"After you tell on Vlad, what's to stop him from trying something?"

Danny smacked his forehead. "Man! I didn't think of that."

__

"Well, just offer a little 'quid pro quo'."

All the boy could do was blink at the Latin his female friend served up.

__

"I'm gonna take your silence to mean that you have no idea what I'm talking about."

"You know me too well." Danny sat on the edge of his bed.

__

"Vlad gives you peace and quiet for keeping his secret. It's perfect."

"It's genius. Sam, you're a lifesaver."

__

"Nah. I prefer Jolly Ranchers."

Danny chuckled a little. "G'night, Sam."

__

"Night, Danny."

"I love you", Danny stated with all his heart. Unfortunately, as with so many phone conversations he had with her in the last year, he waited until he heard the click on the other end to say it. He hung up the phone and settled into bed.

Tomorrow, things were going to change.

XxXxXxXxX

"You're telling me that that thing that attacked you last night is Vlad? Masters? From college?"

Danny answered each of his mother's truncated questions with a nod.

"But how could that be? The three of us were such good friends in school. Things were going so well. We were testing that ghost portal prototype and…" Jack's eyes widened. The complete picture formed in his head: the portal, the beams shooting at Vlad, the ecto-acne.

"He found that the portal gave him ghost powers. Unfortunately, he used them to possess other business owners into signing their companies over to him. That's how he built his empire."

Jack sank to the couch. "This whole thing is my fault. If I'd been looking where I fired the portal's energy, none of it wouldn't happened." His voice carried a somber tone that almost never appeared.

Danny waved his hand. "That's all in the past, now."

"You know, in spite of what Vlad did to get where he is, anyone would be happy to have that wealthy lifestyle."

"Yeah. Too bad that Vlad's probably the only person who doesn't realize this. And I haven't even told you the best part."

"There's a best part?"

"Yeah." Danny leaned over and whispered into his mother's ear. Maddie's look of curiosity turned to one of shock.

"How…very…interesting." Her all-of-a-sudden halted speech pattern surprised her husband.

Jack helped his wife to the couch. "What do you suggest we do about this?"

Danny thought about this. What he thought about after Sam hung up seemed a little radical, but it was the only way. Between he and Vlad, at least, one of them would be man enough to settle this face to face.

He looked to his parents. "I think we should…invite him over."

For as long as he lived, Danny would never forget the surprised/livid expressions on his parents' faces. Even if he held up a bank, Jack and Maddie wouldn't looked the way they currently did.

XxXxXxXxX

A few days had passed since the conversation. Danny had to do some extra convincing to get his parents to go through with it, but they agreed. Knowing that Vlad would respond better to her, Maddie placed the call. Vlad eagerly accepted the invitation. Even with the 'honey, not vinegar' tone of the conversation, very little could keep the woman's stomach from turning.

Danny apologized to his mother, but assured her that this would pay off.

The night of the meeting had come. Vlad rang the doorbell of FentonWorks. Maddie smiled as big as she could as she opened the door.

"Madeline! How wonderful to see you." He hugged her, which caused her to grimace. Because of her shampoo, she smelled of fresh cut roses. As he pulled away, the smile returned to her face.

Vlad looked over to see Danny sitting on the couch. "Young Daniel. Hello. I trust you're staying out of trouble?"

"I don't look for trouble, Mr. Masters…but trouble ends up finding me, anyway." The second part of the statement carried with it an accusatory edge…something that Vlad was quick to pick up on.

With a small twitch, Vlad took a seat at the other end of the couch. Jack walked into the room.

"Vlad, nice to see you." The eagerness with which Jack usually spoke to him was replaced with an even tone.

"Oh, yes, Jack. How could I forget?" Vlad stood up and hesitantly shook the man's hand. There was very little effort expended on either side. Jack sat next to his wife.

Vlad sat back down, seemingly immune to the scornful glances that the family's eyes were casting. "I'm a little surprised that you invited me over."

"Well, we always like to keep track of you."

"Beg pardon?"

"We'd like to keep up with you. How have you been?"

"I really can't complain. Business is going well and I've recently visited a new friend. A little weak, but with the proper guidance…" Vlad briefly glanced at Danny who narrowed his eyes.

Jack jumped up, hands ready to throttle, but Maddie held him back, which wasn't easy, considering the man's size.

Holding Jack's hand, Maddie stood up. "Say, why don't I get some refreshments?"

"Oh, I couldn't trouble you…"

"It's no trouble for an old fiend-- _friend_ like you", Jack offered. Vlad was sure he heard that. Jack and Maddie disappeared into the kitchen.

"Your parents seem a little…odd, tonight."

"Well, what can I say Vlad? That's my parents for you; their minds are always on _ghosts_."

"Indeed."

"In fact, one could even say that they have trouble keeping ghosts away from them. Some of them, for example, wish to do them harm because of nonsense that the ghosts can't leave in the past. But, wait…they didn't know any ghosts in the past. They did know you, though, and now, you're a ghost. What a weird coincidence."

The look of calm on Vlad's face melted into contempt. "Is this supposed to get a confession out of me?"

Danny shook his head. "Confession?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You're wearing a wire." Vlad leaned in toward the boy. "What did you hope, that you'd get to expose me in front of mommy and daddy and play the big hero?"

"I don't need to expose you." Danny took a breath as he looked Vlad square in the eyes. "They already know."

Vlad's eyes widened to saucers as he glanced toward the kitchen. He turned back toward Danny. "What do you think you've done?", the millionaire demanded in a hushed yell.

"It's like you said: I'm a child. I don't know if you can remember that far back, but this is what children do: they tattle. I promised myself I'd never sink to your level, but there's nothing wrong with bringing you up to mine."

"Do you really think that this ridiculous…gesture somehow puts you above me, you impertinent little bas--?" Vlad saw Jack and Maddie walk back into the room, causing the end of his sentence to quickly trail off into laughter. Vlad threw an arm around Danny and hugged him, giving him a noogie in the process. He let go and Danny scowled as he fixed his hair.

Maddie's arms were folded, as were Jack's. "What went on just now?"

"The two of us were just…palling around." Vlad rubbed his hands together. "What about those refreshments?"

"It just dawned on me that I forgot to go shopping."

"Not a problem. I wasn't that hungry, anyway."

"Good. That's going to make this easier. We want you to leave us alone, forever."

Vlad stared at the woman he had hoped to make his wife. "I don't think I heard correctly."

Jack glared at him. "No? Then how about this: we don't exist to you and you don't exist to us. It's as if we never met."

Vlad laughed a little. "You can't be serious--"

"As a stroke. I'm sorry for what happened back then, but that does not give you the right to attack our family. Besides, you've got a good life; you're rich, respected…rich. Don't throw that away because of some silly grudge."

"Jack's right, Vlad. I hardly think it would help your public standing to find out that you got where you were by cheating and stealing your way to the top."

Danny beamed. He knew that his parents could be a little kooky sometimes, but, when it counted, they were strong individuals, and he could not have been prouder of them at this moment.

Vlad, on the other hand, could do little more than stew. He never counted on Danny revealing his secret. A thought occurred to him: "What's to stop me from revealing Danny's secret?"

Jack stepped forward. "What secret?"

"That he is half-ghost, just as I am."

The Fentons turned to their son. "Danny, is this true?", Maddie demanded.

The boy exhaled. "I'm afraid it is, Mom." He closed his eyes and two rings of light formed at his waist. Gone was the dark-haired human and in its place was a white-haired, black-suited ghost. Danny floated over to his mother and hugged her. Jack soon joined in, which caused Vlad to stare.

Maddie raised her head. "Here's how it's going to go: when you walk out that door, which will hopefully be within the next five minutes, you'll forget all about us. No visits, no calls, no messages, no gifts, not even a sympathy card at any of our funerals. You violate these terms, this becomes an issue of the law. Are we clear?"

"But, my dear Madeline…"

Jack put his arm around his wife's waist. "No, _my_ dear Madeline. Are we clear?"

Vlad grit his teeth. "Fine." He stalked past the Fentons and threw the door open. A deep scowl formed on his face as he slammed the door.

"Glad that's over", Danny simply said.

"As are we", Jack said as he scooped Maddie into his arms. "Good night, Danny."

"Night, son." Maddie made no attempt to disguise the elation in her voice. The three of them had a feeling where the night was going. Danny couldn't help but grimace.

XxXxXxXxX

Vlad told his driver to be back in a couple of hours. He hadn't expected the get-together to be so short. He stalked down the block, looking quite irritated.

He plucked a few strands of hair off of his shoulder. They looked to be brown. He examined them, taking a cautionary sniff. The hair smelled like…fresh-cut roses.

Vlad quickly whipped out a handkerchief and placed the hair inside, folding it and putting it in his pocket. A smirk developed on his face as he walked down the street, whistling.


	4. Trust Fall

"You vant us to vhat?!" The Yiddish-accented voice reverberated in the expansive study.

"Keep an eye on Daniel." In human form, Vlad sat back in his chair, his fingers laced together.

Another of three fez-wearing ghost buzzards flew forward. "Vhy vould you vant us to do that?"

"He's become rather bold of late. The nerve of him, shutting me out of his family like some…common criminal."

The third buzzard spoke up. "But aren't you a common criminal?"

"No!" Vlad exploded from his chair and, shifting into ghost form, cornered the now-fearful buzzards. "I prefer to think of myself as _un_common", he stated, regaining his composure.

The buzzards watched as he floated closer to the ground. "There is sure to be a chink in his armor. I want it exposed."

"You can count on us", the first buzzard proclaimed. The birds flew through the wall.

Vlad fell into his chair and his human form. "I swear, if those birds didn't subsist on ectoplasmic scraps and field mice…" He sighed deeply. Good help is hard to find, but cheap help is everywhere.

XxXxXxXxX

He hadn't been bullied once today. He didn't need to excuse himself for a ghostly problem. His streak of answering questions in class continued.

No doubt about it…Danny was having a wonderful day.

Even though he was in the midst of a rather dull science class lecture, nothing could put a damper on the proceedings.

His mind would wander to Sam and how, from time to time, he'd stare at her from across the room. From time to time, she'd catch him staring and he'd have to make up some weak excuse to save face.

The blue stream slipped out of his mouth. He quickly looked around as everyone else struggled to listen. Nothing was there.

If Danny had looked to his left, he would've not seen Vlad's hired buzzards hovering intangibly outside the window.

XxXxXxXxX

Danny walked out of school with Tucker at his side. "I don't know, Tucker. It just felt like…I was being watched today."

"You're probably making too much of this. I heard from Sam about Vlad. You should be happy that he's out of your life."

"That's just it; I _should_ be happy. Knowing him, he'd probably find some way to keep an eye on me."

"If that's so, you need to lose whoever you think is following you."

Danny hiccupped. The familiar stream of blue escaped his lips. "That's a given." The friends stopped at a street corner. "See you later."

"Later, man." Tucker went off in a different direction, leaving Danny alone. The boy ducked into an alley between two buildings. One was taller than the other, so it cast a big shadow.

The buzzards had been tracking him since science class, so Danny went intangible as he ran from the alley.

Hidden from prying eyes, Danny shifted to ghost form.

One of the buzzards saw the burst of light from the alley. He turned to his compatriots. "Hey, you two! I saw a light down there."

"Vhat? You vant a medal?"

"It could be the kid."

The three birds swooped down after the light source. The alley looked the same as ever; dumpsters, refuse and the occasional stray cat.

"Vhere did he go to, Eisenstein?"

"Don't take that tone vit me!"

"Vhat are _you_ gonna do about it?"

As the buzzards started pecking at each other, sending feathers everywhere, Danny slinked along the wall, invisible to his pursuers.

He looked around to see if the coast was clear. After a few seconds, it was, enabling him to fly down a few more blocks.

Back in the alley, the buzzards had clearly worn themselves out. All three were panting heavily. One of them stuck his wing up. "Guys. This…is getting us…nowhere."

"Yeah. Ve should be…savin' dis for…the kid."

"But vhere…did he get to?"

XxXxXxXxX

Danny sat next to Sam on her bed. "So, Vlad went for it?" The girl could not hide the amusement in her voice.

"He didn't have a choice. It took all my strength not to yell out, 'so long, sucker'!"

Sam giggled, then quickly covered her mouth. Danny watched the action. He just loved that she refused to act girly for anyone.

"So now what?"

"He's leaving us alone, we're leaving him alone." He looked off. "Still…"

"What is it?"

The boy took a breath. "I think he might still try something. This _is_ Vlad, we're talking about."

"Danny…" She looked him in the eyes. "You shouldn't worry too much about this. There's nothing he can do to you or your family now."

"But what ab--" Sam put her finger to Danny's lips. Clearly, the matter was not open for further discussion.

"You and your family are safe. Trust me."

"Okay." Danny grabbed his friend in a hug, which caught her by surprise. "And thanks, Sam, for everything."

"You're welcome, Danny."

He changed into his black-and-white ghost form and flew out the window.

XxXxXxXxX

One of the buzzards had been hovering from the next block. He stared at the form flying down the street. He traced the path back to an imposing structure.

He zoomed toward the building, focusing on a dark-haired girl within. She hummed a melody to herself as she danced around with an invisible partner.

She fell onto her bed and kicked her legs girlishly. A knock at the door disrupted her reverie.

"_Samantha? Was there someone in there with you?"_

"No, Mom. It's just me", Sam replied in an annoyed tone.

"_I could swear I heard another voice in there, earlier. A boy's voice."_

"It was just your imagination, Mom."

"_I know what I heard, young lady." _A pause as Sam groaned. "_I love you."_

The buzzard peered from under his shades. "Guys, I think I've found his weak spot."

XxXxXxXxX

Jazz peaked her head out from her office. "Bettina, another patient, please."

Bettina disinterest waved her hand, allowing a ghost to float in.

XxXxXxXxX

"And what brings you here?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I thought I was going somewhere else." The voice of the ghost on the couch was usually commanding, but, currently, it sounded more vulnerable.

Jazz shook her head. "That doesn't make a lot of sense."

"The Ghost Zone is a huge place. It's easy to get lost."

'That's true', Jazz thought to herself. The first few days took a lot of getting used to her new environment.

"So, I'll just be leaving, now." The ghost floated toward the door.

"What's wrong? Do I scare you?" It took all of Jazz's strength and professionalism not to burst out laughing; the idea that she could scare a ghost and not the other way around.

"It's not that at all." The ghost turned and started to mutter. "She's just like the old one."

"What 'old one'?"

"'Old one'? I didn't say anything."

"Yes, you did."

"I didn't say anything of the kind."

Jazz checked over her notes. "Desiree, is it? It says here that you're a wish-granting ghost."

"Indeed, I am." Her eyes widened. She knew where this was going.

"Then I wish you'd float back here, lie down and tell me all about the 'old one'."

Desiree let out a long yell. "Curse that infernal rule!" She floated to the couch and lied down, just as Jazz asked.

"Now, the old one."

She sighed. "There was a psychiatrist in the Ghost Zone before you. She had red hair and power suits just like you." As Desiree spoke, Jazz's mouth fell open. "She had a warm tone in her voice…just like you…but then the things she would say…"

"Was her name Penelope Spectra?"

Desiree started to cry. "Yes."

Jazz balled her hands into fists. At that moment, she wished that she had taken a turn at Spectra with the Fenton Peeler. 'Maybe, later', she thought to herself.

"She would say things to ghosts that turned them against each other and mainly humans. There were a few who resisted going. They said that she was miserable, so she made it her mission to turn everyone that way."

"Desiree, I understand how you feel. Spectra made a mess of things at my high school. All it takes to solve a problem is to tell someone about it. This is definitely a step in the right direction."

The shapely ghost wiped her eyes. "I guess so, even if it was under duress."

Jazz blushed. "Sorry about that."

"No, no. I feel…a little better, now."

"A few more sessions, with less coercion, should help you out."

Jazz looked truly surprised as she found herself wrapped in a hug. "Thank you." Desiree floated out, leaving a bemused-looking Jazz.

XxXxXxXxX

"Boss, ve found out his weak spot!"

One of the buzzards flew in front of him. "_I_ found his weak spot. It's this girl vit dark hair."

"Dark hair, you say?" Vlad looked down at his computer. It currently accessed the Casper High website (that's for the curious). One of the pictures, captioned 'Clowning around', featured Danny, Sam and Tucker with their arms around each other and mugging for all they were worth. Vlad stared intently at the photo.

He looked back up. "Would her name, by any chance, be Samantha?"

"Yeah. I heard her mother talking about a boy's voice in the room."

Vlad laughed in his throat. "His weakness is an age-old one: woman. Daniel, we are more alike than you will ever know."

XxXxXxXxX

"And a good day to you."

"It would be better if I knew what was going on in my prison." Jazz refused to let the patient's deep, authoritarian voice rattle her.

"Why is your prison so important to you?"

"Little lady, it's what the prison represents: a sense of order. Ghosts having to follow the rules because they were foolish enough to break them."

"I think I understand the problem."

"There's no problem with me, missy."

"That's what _you_ surmise. Your problem, as I see it, is that you have too much stock in the rules. I mean, would it kill you to, if not break, bend the rules?"

"It would kill the system held dear by every law-abiding citizen here in the Ghost Zone, of which you are one, I trust?"

"Absolutely, but I mean to bend the rules for yourself. Maybe loosen that tie every once in a while."

The ghost floated toward Jazz and looked her in the face. "Ma'am, I pride myself on my appearance. If even one of my inmates were to see my tie undone, they would take it as a sign of weakness, and I cannot - _will_ not - look weak in front of the prisoners."

Jazz did little more than straighten her glasses. "It was nothing more than a suggestion, Mr. Walker."

He floated toward the exit. "It's just Walker. No 'Mr.'." Jazz shook her head. She could swear she saw one of Walker's gloved hands move toward his neck. He took it away and shuddered a little.

She gave an approving nod.

XxXxXxXxX

The phone in the upstairs hallway rang three times before one of the servants picked it up. The man handed it to a woman resting on a couch.

Though somewhat attractive with her coiffed strawberry blonde hair, the woman's crow's feet and stern look marked her as a weary mother.

The woman took the receiver from the servant. "Thank you." She put it to her ear. "May I help you?"

"_Mrs. Manson? Mrs. Pamela Manson?"_

"Yes. What is this concerning?"

"_Well…it's about your daughter, Samantha."_

XxXxXxXxX

"_Oh, dear. She's not in any trouble at school, again, is she?"_

Sitting in front of a computer was Vlad. On the screen was the contact information for Sam Manson: her address and phone number. Google could easily be used for good or evil. He sat back in his chair, wearing a headset.

"Oh, no, Mrs. Manson. This is about your daughter's…friends." He had no compunction about utilizing his real voice. After all, the woman had never heard it before. "The company kept by a young girl could have positive or negative repercussions on her future."

Vlad could hear the woman gasp on the other end. The fish was hooked.

"Do you know about your daughter's friends? Have they been, say, convicted of any crimes in the last few months? Conversing with a known fugitive, even an acquitted one, could lead to any number of incidents down the road."

"_Oh, my."_

"And come to think of it, when _was_ the last time you talked to your daughter about her friends?"

Pamela couldn't answer. She couldn't recall a time.

"I do so hope that this situation will be rectified. Ta." Vlad reached for his machine, a finger extended toward the dial tone button.

"_Excuse me."_

Vlad withdrew his hand.

XxXxXxXxX

"This concern for my daughter is touching, but who are you? I mean, did you just assume you could frighten me into mistrusting my daughter? How do you know who I am? How'd you get this number?"

Vlad, in a rare fit of fear, was speechless.

"More to the point, how do you know I even _have_ a daughter?"

Again, he could think of nothing.

"If you know so much about my daughter and what's going on with her, I, at the very least, deserve a name." At this point, Pamela was less a woman than a grizzly bear defending her cub.

Vlad cleared his throat before finding his voice. "_Well, Mrs. Manson, I'm just someone who hates seeing young girls tainted--"_

"I'll just bet you hate seeing young girls. Now give me a name, or do the police need to get involved?"

"_Very well. My name is…Dell. Dell Zima." _

"Thank you, Mr. Zima. I'll be sure to look into this." Pamela hung up the phone.

XxXxXxXxX

Vlad exhaled as he pushed the dial tone button. He then logged off of his computer, the latest from Dell. The familiar 'log off' jingle was, literally, music to his ears.

The millionaire, then, reached down and opened a bottle of Zima. He took a swig, capping it off with a loud 'ahhhh'. "The joy of sabotage." He leaned back in his chair. "Have fun, Daniel."

XxXxXxXxX

Danny hurried up the stairs, a smile on his face. Maddie peeked out of the kitchen. "Danny, it's almost time for dinner."

"I'll be right down."

XxXxXxXxX

The boy jumped onto his bed and picked up the phone, eagerly dialing numbers.

The phone rang. He put the receiver to his ear.

"_Hello?"_ It was a female voice, but a bit more…lilted than Danny expected.

"Sam?"

"_No. This is her mother."_

"Oh. Good evening, Mrs. Manson. Can I talk to Sam?"

"_I'm afraid not. In fact, Samantha is going away for a while. No offense to you, but I'd rather you forget about my daughter."_

Danny was flabbergasted. He shook his head, mouthing the word 'no'. "Mrs. Manson, why can't I talk to Sam?"

"_Please, Danny, don't make this harder than it needs to be. I know you have a lot of fond memories of my daughter. I'd prefer you keep them fond."_

"What?" The next sound he heard was the click of the phone being hung up on the other end.

XxXxXxXxX

Mrs. Manson dialed a new set of numbers on the phone. "Hello? This is Pamela…your sister-in-law. I have a favor to ask you. My Samantha is attending Willington Prep. You're a lot closer to the school than we are, so would you mind putting her up for…a year or two?" She said the last part very rapidly. "Yes, Samantha can be a little…headstrong, but you know she's a good girl." She waited for the answer. "Thank you so very much. This means a lot to me. You have a good night."

She hung up the phone and walked up the stairs.

XxXxXxXxX

Sam sat in her room listening to music. A knock at the door caused her to look towards it.

"_Samantha?"_

"There's no one in here, Mom, if that's what you're wondering."

Mrs. Manson opened the door. "Oh, no. That's not it, at all. I have…a surprise for you." Sam looked at her mother with great curiosity. "You remember Aunt Olivia and Uncle Trevor, right?"


	5. Worst Laid Plans

The next day saw a return to form for Danny. He went about his usual day - sitting through class, running into Dash - but his heart didn't seem to be in it. The two muses that inspired him to greatness were out of his life. Jazz was busy with her new practice and Sam was off-limits.

Not even Tucker could cheer him up, even though his material needed a polish, anyway.

As with the before time, all he wanted was to be left alone as he survived what life threw at him.

XxXxXxXxX

At the end of the school day, Tucker walked with Danny. "Good thing that's over, huh?"

Danny could do nothing more than grunt.

Tucker scowled. "Okay, that's it." He stood in front of his sullen friend. "This sulk-a-thon ends now. I know you're upset about Sam, but moping isn't going to bring her back."

"Tuck…" Danny whined. He clearly didn't feel like talking about this.

"Don't 'Tuck…' with me." The halfa's eyes goggled. "I know what I said. This isn't the end of the world. You'll see her again. I'm not sure when, but you will."

Danny simply walked by his friend, who waved goodbye. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

XxXxXxXxX

The only things on Danny's mind when he got home were doing his homework and going to bed. If he happened to finish before sunset, so be it.

"_Danny, could you come down here, please?"_

He slammed his pen on his books. His mother's sweet voice rang in his ears. He knew he couldn't ignore it for very long.

He rolled his eyes as he hopped onto the floor. May as well get this over with.

XxXxXxXxX

As Danny walked toward the stairs, a stream of blue light flew from his lips. He gasped silently. There was only one ghost that Jack and Maddie would invite into the house.

He hurried down the stairs and saw the specter floating in the living room. "Jazz!"

"Danny. How are you?" Jazz floated toward her brother.

"A lot better now."

"Things have been that bad?"

"Well, not really, but…apparently, I'm no longer allowed to see Sam."

Maddie gasped. "Did she say anything to you?"

"No. Her mother said. Thinks I'm a bad influence."

"That's ridiculous. Perhaps, I need to have a talk with her."

Danny put his hands up. "No! No. I don't want to make things worse." He turned to Jazz, his smile having returned. "How have things been going with you?"

"Pretty good. I'm doing well in my practice. I had no idea you met so many interesting ghosts, Danny."

He scratched his head. "'Interesting' isn't quite the word I'd use, Jazz."

"But they are. I find that they're a lot like people. Well, they _are _people, or at least _were_…anyway, they have dreams and hopes and fears like the rest of us."

"I don't know about that, Jazzie", Jack interjected. "They've attacked this town. Some of them even attacked your brother."

"That's just it. I don't believe that they attacked them because they wanted to. They attacked because they were influenced. When people attack people, it's usually because of outside influences. Who's to say it's not the same with ghosts?"

Maddie rubbed her chin. "Unusual theory, dear, but it's worth looking into."

"Thanks, Mom." Jazz floated toward her mother and kissed her cheek.

"Do you mind if I go to my room? I'm feeling a little…tired from the day."

"Not at all. It was good seeing you again, Danny."

"Same here, Jazz." He shifted into ghost form and hugged her tightly. "I'll see you around."

He flew through the ceiling, leaving his family to watch.

Maddie shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

Jazz looked at herself. "I don't think _I'll_ ever get used to it. Moving around the way he does isn't that easy."

"Maybe Danny can teach you some pointers."

"That's not a bad idea."

XxXxXxXxX

Danny floated onto his bed and changed back to human form. "'Outside influences'? He shrugged as he walked over to his computer and booted it up.

Talking with his family had calmed him down, somewhat, but he still needed to blow off some steam…and what better way to do that than with a few aimlessly wasted hours on the internet?

The seemingly endless loading time brought with it a blue sky background, dotted with white clouds.

A fancy chime alerted Danny to a pop-up window in the upper right corner of his screen. The window read simply, 'DarkPrincess has logged on'. A smile crept onto his face; he knew all too well who owned that net handle.

No sooner than he saw the message than he logged on with his own screen name: 'Ecto-One' (initially, it was thought that the handle was too on-the-nose, but Danny figured that someone would likely think he was a big _Ghostbusters_ fan…which he was, anyway).

Danny eagerly typed on the keyboard.

_Ecto-One: hey, whats up?_

_DarkPrincess: nothing how are you?_

_Ecto-One: missing the hell out of you where are you?_

_DarkPrincess: uncle and aunts house thank goodness I can get internet access out here_

_Ecto-One: its nothing like in person_

_DarkPrincess: I know _

_Ecto-One: how long do you have to be up there?_

_DarkPrincess: until I finish at this stupid school three years_

Danny slammed his head on the keyboard. Unfortunately, he was still logged onto the chat session:

_Ecto-One: jmnhmbkbgfvhjm_

_DarkPrincess: r u okay?_

_Ecto-One: not really I want to see you again_

_DarkPrincess: I want to see you again theres always Christmas_

('LvrNtFghtr' has logged on.)

_LvrNtFghtr: hey guys what up?_

_DarkPrincess: not much_

_LvrNtFghtr: did you cheer up?_

_DarkPrincess: about what?_

_Ecto-One: missing you but im better now_

_DarkPrincess: its not the end of the world_

_Ecto-One: for some of us_

_DarkPrincess: lest we forget that im at the all girls school from hell _

_LvrNtFghtr: sure sounds like a nightmare_

_DarkPrincess: thank you someone who gets it_

_LvrNtFghtr: sarcasm doesn't translate too well in these chats_

_Ecto-One: that cheered me up_

_DarkPrincess: thank you Tango and Cash_

_LvrNtFghtr: which one am I?_

_DarkPrincess: does it matter? don't worry we'll see each other again ill be right here_

_Ecto-One: that was cheesy_

_DarkPrincess: yes it was good night_

('DarkPrincess' has logged off.)

_LvrNtFghtr: night man feel better_

('LvrNtFghtr' has logged off.)

Not long after logging off, Danny checked his e-mail. It was the usual stuff: instantly deleteable junk mail. He figured that he was only a couple of years away from e-mail worth reading.

"_The room still looks the same."_

Danny jumped up from his seat. He looked behind him. Jazz slowly rose up from the floor.

"How did you not tip off my ghost sense?"

She shrugged. "Not sure. All I did was take a quick peek."

"What brings you up here?"

"Just wanted to say goodbye."

"Oh. You should visit more often."

"I should…but then a ghost regularly showing up in the home of ghost hunters? It's a little unusual."

"That's what makes it fun."

Jazz extended her arms. "Come here. Give your sister a hug."

Danny changed into ghost form and hugged his sister. "Don't be a stranger."

"I wouldn't think of it." Jazz let him go and floated through the floor.

Changing back to human form, Danny sat on his bed and took a breath.

XxXxXxXxX

The lab was an expansive place where liquids bubbled and knowledge flowed. At the center was a tube filled with amniotic fluid. The naked body that shared space with the tube was hooked up to wires and had an oxygen mask over its face. Also, the body looked to be unmistakably female, roughly in her late-30s. Her short brown hair was unkempt, which was to be expected for hair that's never been styled.

Standing at the base of the tube was Vlad, who stared dreamily at the body. The last few days, which easily could've been spent hitting up the clubs (after all, women are attracted to money and power…and Vlad wasn't running short of either asset, anytime soon), were spent growing this specimen.

For his confidence and knowledge of life and science, he didn't pretend to be an expert on cloning, but he was able to seek the "advice" (his ego wouldn't dare allow him to call it help) of people who specialized in cloning. Vlad mused at how a few loose hairs had yielded such incredible results in a short time.

In fact, if one were to be truly observant, one would notice the specimen's striking resemblance to Maddie Fenton.

Vlad traced a heart on the tube. "It's only a matter of time, my dear."

XxXxXxXxX

The school was big, almost to the point of distraction. A number of teenage girls filed in through the entrance. Among them was Sam, who sulked her way inside.

She looked up at the interiors and sighed deeply. She felt herself get shoved aside by an older girl. This girl had long brown hair that immediately drew the eye, even with her impressive bosom.

"Watch where you're going, new girl." The girl had a condescending tone in her voice as she sneered at Sam.

"You're the one who bumped into me, Fiona. And what's with this 'new girl' crap? I've been here, what, a month? You need to let that go."

As Sam walked away, Fiona grabbed her shoulder and turned her against one of the lockers.

"The only thing I need to do, new girl, is keep you in your place. From the look of you, you probably had no choice in coming to Willington, but that doesn't obligate me to make things easier on you."

Sam shook away from Fiona's grasp. "Just leave me alone." She walked away.

"This isn't over, new girl."

XxXxXxXxX

"How much further until we're there?" Tucker looked up at Danny. Invisibly, the two of them were in the air, Danny holding up his friend.

"According to the directions I downloaded from Mapquest, it shouldn't be too much further."

Through the clouds, they could make out a building. The plate on the front of the gates read 'Willington Prep School (for Wicked, Wayward Girls)'.

"We're here," Danny remarked as he flew over the gates and through a wall.

XxXxXxXxX

As they faded into view, Danny and Tucker landed in a classroom that, for their luck, was empty. Danny rested against a wall, panting heavily. He hadn't before made a trip of such distance, much less with a passenger.

Tucker, meanwhile, stood up and rushed to the door, as if awaiting entry to an amusement park. "That was fun."

"Yeah. I'm glad…one of us…is having…fun."

"Danny, what's with you?"

Lacking the energy to jump on Tucker and yell at him, Danny simply glared. "You try getting ghost powers and carrying your friend 30 miles through the air, then ask me that question." He slumped over again. It took all of his strength just to say that.

"Right. Sorry." Tucker smiled nervously. He looked out the window. The coast was clear. "Well, we're here. What now?"

"Rest."

"But…the girls."

"Tuck, we have the whole day."

"I guess. It still amazes me that we were able to come here on a school day."

"It was nothing, Tuck. All we really needed to do was…"

"_I'm not sure. I think I may have left it in here." _The boys gasped. The doorknob jiggled. The door opened. A female teacher, who couldn't have been older than her mid-30s, walked inside and looked toward the desk, right near where Danny and Tucker were sitting.

She picked up a manila folder filled with papers and walked back out.

The boys reappeared and Danny let go of Tucker. "You see, that's why we need to be careful."

Tucker nodded. "Good point."

XxXxXxXxX

Vlad stared up at the tube with Maddie's clone inside. He was like a child on Christmas morning, eagerly looking forward to what Santa had brought him.

He pushed a red button on his console, which first drained the liquid inside then raised the tube. "Maddie" fell backwards. In no time, Vlad hurried to catch the body in his arms.

He looked down at her. He wiped her mouth with his sleeve and kissed her on the lips. It seemed a little trite, but if it worked in fairy stories…

The woman opened her eyes. They were a vibrant purple, just like those of the woman Vlad so coveted.

"Hello, there. My name is Vlad Masters."

"Maddie" said nothing. She simply looked around.

"I understand that this must be a lot for you to absorb, and if we are to have a strong, lasting relationship, it is important to be honest." He took a breath. "You were created in this laboratory. You are a clone; a clone of one of the most beautiful women ever to walk the Earth. Well, she's less a woman than a goddess, really."

She moved her lips to speak. "Ah…"

"Yes? What do you wish to tell me?"

"Ah hah. Habbah wabbah."

Vlad shook his head. "I'm sorry. What was that?"

"Ah…hah. Habbah wabbah."

A nervous laugh from the aspiring mad scientist. He rushed to the phone and dialed a number.

"_Dr. Pendleton's office. This is Tina. How may I help you?" _The woman's slight Hispanic inflection did not disguise the disaffected tone in her voice.

"Kindly put that glorified pharmacist on the line, now!"

A pause from Tina's end. "_Hold on. I'll connect you."_ The same tone. She had clearly been at this job too long.

"_This is Dr. Pendleton." _

"And this is a dissatisfied customer."

A pause. "_Mr. Masters. How goes it?"_ He'd have known that voice anywhere.

"My clone turned out perfectly, except for the little matter of coherent speech!"

"_When you produce a clone over the course of a few days, there are always going to be glitches. They could be missing an arm, a leg, maybe they get an extra eye, or their brain isn't fully developed. It's a game of chance, Mr. Masters."_

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"_I suppose you could try to teach her forty years of knowledge."_

"Is that my only option?"

"_Yes. It'll be like raising a child…a full-grown child."_

"But--" The phone clicked. Vlad growled as he slammed the phone down. "'Forty years of knowledge'?" He paced around the lab, soon stopping. "But what if somebody wasn't already using a brain…or a spirit?" As if thinking out loud, Vlad sat in a chair. Fake Maddie watched these actions, even if she didn't fully understand them.

XxXxXxXxX

"Can we go now?"

"Okay, I'm feeling up to it now." Danny stood to his feet as he grabbed Tucker, turning them invisible. They walked through the hallway, careful to stay close to the walls.

"So, where to, now?"

At that moment, three notes chimed over the P.A. system. The classroom doors opened, allowing the girls to spill out.

Tucker got an eyeful of the chattering girls. Their mandated uniform was now imprinted on his brain. "I can't begin to tell you how glad I am that we came here."

"Thanks. Do you see Sam?" Danny glanced down the hall. A locker was being opened and the girl performing the action was not smiling. "Sam!", he loudly whispered. Danny dragged his friend down the hall.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Sam. She's at the end of the hall."

"But…"

"We can leer at the girls later."

Danny walked toward Sam. He reached his free hand to her, hoping to help her with whatever her problem may have been.

At the moment of contact, he felt himself get dragged away.

"Danny!" Tucker yelled it loud enough for everyone to hear, not that it would've mattered much; the girls had been chattering so loudly, a jackhammer could have been operated in the hallway with no complaints.

XxXxXxXxX

"Danny, wake up." Tucker shook his friend's shoulder. "Class is over."

"Class?"

"Yeah. I know that this class can be boring, but I manage to keep from falling asleep. You're so lucky you weren't caught."

Danny grabbed his books and walked out. "I was having the weirdest dream. The two of us went to Sam's school and we were nearly caught."

"Wow. We really need to go up there, one day."

"…when I get my driver's license."

"Senior Skip Day?"

Danny smiled as he looked to Tucker. "It's done." They clasped hands.

XxXxXxXxX

"Bettina, could you send in the next patient?"

"_Certainly."_

Through the door flew Vlad Plasmius, in all his caped, pointy-haired glory.

"Jasmine, hello."

"Actually, it's Dr. Fenton now."

"But, of course, Doctor."

Jazz sat in her chair. "So, what do you wish to talk about?"

"Oh, I'm not here for a session, my dear."

"Funny. From what I heard from my folks, you really could use one."

Vlad's eye twitched slightly. "Yes. Well it's nice to know that you still keep in touch."

"If you're not here for a session, then why are you here?"

"Just to talk. Don't you miss that world?"

Jazz sighed. "I have to admit, there are times when I do miss it."

"To hug your parents, to breathe fresh air, to eat your favorite foods…"

"I miss all of it."

"What if I could give you another chance?"

Jazz turned to Vlad. "No offense, but you're the last person from whom I should be accepting gifts."

"Jasmine, I'm offering you something amazing; something that not everyone gets…a second chance."

"I'm sorry, but my answer is no."

Vlad simply stared at her before turning around and floating out. "Fine."

Jazz folded her arms.

XxXxXxXxX

"That was a short session."

Vlad stared intently at the receptionist. "I'd like to make another appointment. For tomorrow."


	6. Body by Jazz

Vlad walked by the couch in his living room. He buttoned up his shirt without even stopping to do so. Clearly, he had a lot on his mind.

Sitting on the couch was fake Maddie. Clad in one of her creator's old shirts and a pair of shorts, she eagerly stared at the television.

The ringing of the phone drew their attention. Vlad picked it up. "Hello?"

"_Greetings, Mr. Masters. How are you enjoying your vacation?"_

It was one of his subordinates. "Oh, I'm doing splendidly; recharging the batteries, you might say. Is anything wrong?"

"_Oh, no. We just wanted to check up on you. Have a nice time."_

"That's the idea." Vlad hung up the phone and looked toward Maddie. He walked up to her and kissed her head. "It seems I must leave you now. Assuring a bright future for those you helped bring into this world is a lot of hard work."

"A diamond is forever." The remark didn't seem to affect him at all. He had sat her in front of the television last night as, to him, that was a much quicker and easier alternative to teaching her what she needed to know. Then again, with a certain form of assistance, he wouldn't have to teach her a thing.

"Yes, I know." He shifted into his ghost form. "Farewell, my dear." She didn't even respond as he phased through the floor.

Maddie shrugged a little. "I ain't afraid of no ghosts."

XxXxXxXxX

Bettina sat at her desk staring at the jar of ectoplasm in front of her. The eyes within blinked at her.

"And so what? You think my life is over just because I'm that girl's indentured servant?" The eyes blinked again. The old 'blink once for yes, twice for no' system was cliched, but sometimes, the old methods work best.

"Well, let me tell you. Once I'm done here, I'm going places. I'm going to see the world, maybe haunt a nice chateau in France. Meanwhile, your non-corporeal life will continue. Pity, though. Being your lapdog was fun…for a while." The eyes in the jar narrowed. "I could never do anything to you." Bettina motioned to her body. "I don't even need you, anymore, Pen."

A shadow cast over the receptionist and the jar. "Is…Dr. Fenton in?"

"As always." Bettina extended her arm toward Jazz's office.

"Thank you, my dear." Vlad winked at her as he went in.

The eyes in the jar glanced up at Bettina, who was waving at him. She caught Spectra's gaze. She was not happy. "What?" Spectra's eyes fluttered as if mocking Bettina before rolling scornfully. "Don't judge me."

XxXxXxXxX

"Jasmine. Good morning."

"Vlad, what are you doing here?"

"I scheduled another appointment for today. Didn't your fetching assistant let you know of this?"

"No, she didn't. I really should have a talk with her."

"I'm concerned about you, Jasmine." He studied her face. "My, you look just like your mother." Jazz looked at him confusedly. He straightened up. "You've, no doubt, been working very hard. Wouldn't you appreciate a rest from all of this? From your…responsibilities?"

"Vlad…I don't know if you can understand this, but I've got a good thing going here: a good job that I love and a life of my own. I don't want to walk away from it. I can't even imagine why I would."

The smile fell from the half-ghost's face, replaced by anger. "Fine. We can do this the hard way." He turned toward the exit and placed a hand to his mouth. "I wish Jazz would come with me."

Jazz looked toward Vlad. "Just what do you think you're--" Before she could finish her sentence, the young woman felt some invisible force dragging her toward Vlad. He floated out of the office with Jazz at his side. She looked down at her waist. The belt that was around Bettina's waist now resided around her own.

XxXxXxXxX

"Thank you, but your services will no longer be required." Jazz followed the direction of the voice and looked over at Desiree, who mouthed, 'I'm sorry'.

Jazz could only look mournfully at her patient as she traveled with Vlad.

"What do you want with me?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"If you're going to all this trouble, it must be something huge."

"You'll see soon enough, dear."

XxXxXxXxX

The hallways of Casper High were as busy as ever. The students filed out of the many rooms, grateful to be one class closer to 3:00. Danny and Tucker arrived at their lockers.

Danny had been the first to notice what was happening. He nudged his friend, who soon saw what he did: the outfits of every girl in the hallway were changing. Most of them wore sneakers which became Mary Jane shoes. The pants worn by the girls shortened, the legs fusing and becoming plaid skirts. Their casual shirts changed into dress shirts. As unusual as the occurrence was, it did not diminish from how attractive it made the girls look.

The boys could only stare dumbly as Paulina walked toward them, an amorous look on her face. Her white dress shirt tied itself into a knot, as if by some invisible force. The knot formed just below her chest, giving strong emphasis to her womanly figure.

She seemed to push Danny aside and vamp at Tucker, whose mouth was justifiably open.

"Hey, Tucker." Her voice lowered to a rasp. She thrust her rear end out and gave it a playful smack. "Wanna play 'Baby One More Time'?"

The boy nodded his head. "Uh-huh." Actually, that's what it sounded like in his head; the reality was a bit closer to…

"Ewww! Stop ogling me, you geek!" Paulina, in her pink top and blue capris, smacked Tucker across the face and walked away. The blow was strong enough to knock Tucker to the floor.

Danny extended a hand. "Fantasizing about Paulina in the uniform?" He helped Tucker to his feet.

The African-American adjusted his glasses. "Am I really that obvious?"

"More."

"_More what?"_

XxXxXxXxX

"You just said 'more'. What's up?"

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking again." Danny poked his fork around his warmed-over spaghetti and meatballs.

Tucker offered a slyly raised eyebrow. "About Sam?"

"About a lot of things."

"That include Sam?" Danny looked up from his lunch, apparently not happy. "Hey, you're the one who said 'more'. That could mean a lot of things."

Unwilling to dignify that with a response, Danny simply twirled more noodles onto his fork.

XxXxXxXxX

Danny opened the door of his house. Jack and Maddie looked at their son.

"Hey, Mom. Dad."

"Welcome home, Danny. How was school?"

"It was okay. What's up?"

"Well, we're just waiting for Jazz. She's supposed to visit today."

"That's great. I'll be in my room." Danny went up the stairs. The more Jazz came to visit, the more his mood would lift. He started to appreciate what he missed out on when she was alive.

XxXxXxXxX

Hours had passed in the Fenton home. Danny did his homework. Jack and Maddie waited on the living room couch. However, none of this caused Jazz to appear.

Danny had hurried down the stairs, eager to see his sister again. Unfortunately, she wasn't there.

"Maybe she's still busy at her office."

Maddie nodded her head. "Perhaps." She did her best to force any unpleasant thoughts out of her head. Jazz was safe and she refused to think otherwise.

"Of course, Danny. She's still at the office."

"Still, it wouldn't hurt to check up on her."

Jack and Maddie offered up statements supporting their son's theory. Danny shifted to ghost form and flew through the floor, toward the basement.

XxXxXxXxX

The Ghost Zone looked even more expansive than it usually did. Perhaps, this was because it was more often used for travel purposes.

Danny wasn't sure how long he'd been flying. Time didn't seem to be as rigid a concept as it did in the human world. He did know that he'd flown a great distance.

He flew toward a modest little building and leaned against the wall. He opened the door; maybe, someone in here can answer his questions.

He walked up to the desk, where a leggy (when she had legs) brunette ghost was sitting. "Excuse me, but I'm looking for a ghost. Long, red hair, sometimes in a bun?"

"You!" The ghost floated upward, away from Danny, but holding her ground. He knew that Jazz had an assistant - Bettina, but he didn't know of her old, less attractive self.

He put his hands up. "I don't want a fight. I'm just looking for Jazz Fenton."

"Oh." The ghost floated downward, her tail splitting into legs. "Some guy took her."

"What did this guy look like?"

"Red eyes, pointy hair, had a cape…"

That was all Danny needed as he flew out of the office. "Thanks", he called back.

"Don't mention it…ghost child."

Danny didn't catch the ghost's response as he was halfway gone from that location.

XxXxXxXxX

"Look here, Dr. FrankenVlad, you're not going to get away with this!" The body strapped on the bed - the one commonly known as fake Maddie - grunted as she struggled for freedom, the belt around her waist.

"My dear Jasmine, I don't follow you. I'm merely giving a little life to my significant other."

The clone gave off an incredulous look. "Do you even listen to yourself when you speak? Don't you see anything unethical about this whole situation?"

"True love is nothing if not a little unethical, sweetie. One must learn to take the good with the bad in life. I lose the love of my life, but I'm given a second chance. Her intellect is…lacking, but I find an intelligent soul in need of her own second chance." Vlad ran a hand along her head. "We can help each other to grow."

"What are you saying?"

"With your knowledge of the inner workings of ghosts and my unsurpassed powers, we can rule the Ghost Zone as king and queen."

"But what if I don't want to join you as your…queen?" Jazz spat the word out; the notion truly repelled her.

"Then I really don't know what to say for you. I'm being quite generous, here."

"'Generous'? Then why am I strapped to this table? Why can't I be free?"

"Jasmine, do you really take me for a fool?!"

At that moment, the door of Vlad's ghost portal opened, revealing a very tired Danny. The clone turned her head as best as she could. "Danny!"

"And just what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to pick up my sister. That's all. I don't want any trouble."

"Then leave and never come back."

Danny raised his glowing hand. "Not without Jazz."

"Do you really think you can hurt me, Daniel?"

The younger halfa scanned the laboratory. The equipment looked expensive. Even if he lived to be 100, he couldn't afford this. Vlad, on the other hand… "Who said anything about you?" He fired a few blasts at the chamber, the beacon that brought fake Maddie to life. He launched a few more blasts at the ceiling, which sent crumbs of mortar falling onto the lab tables. The place that Vlad would concoct experiments (with which he had been assisted) would be destroyed. In the midst of this, Danny freed Jazz from the table and picked her up.

The siblings flew toward the exit, but Danny turned back. "You have a choice, Vlad: stop me or save your lab. You might want to choose quickly." The boy motioned to the ceilings, which were fast becoming compromised. As Vlad moved the tables out of harm's way, Danny flew through the wall.

XxXxXxXxX

Danny flew through several walls while Jazz hung on tightly. He couldn't believe how many rooms the mansion had.

"Geez, how is it that Vlad has this much stuff and he still has time to mess with us?"

Jazz shrugged her shoulders. "Beats me, Danny. Maybe, he needs a cat."

XxXxXxXxX

Vlad managed to move the tables away from the falling bits of ceiling. Unfortunately, the tables he moved were under pieces of the ceiling that hadn't yet fallen. The cracks formed by already fallen bits of the ceiling were spreading around the room. The mortar fell onto the tables, crushing them into splinters.

He stared out of the exit, enraged beyond belief. "Daniel!" The cry hung in the night air, reverberating throughout the house. No question about it, he was angry.


	7. Final Solution

Danny and Jazz sat quietly on the living room couch. Jazz took a breath, which allowed her not-unimpressive chest to rise.

"Good grief. I had no idea Mom was so…shapely." It was Maddie's voice that came from the being, but Jazz's cadences remained intact.

Danny grimaced. "Jazz, would you mind not talking about Mom's body while I'm in the same state?"

"Sorry."

At that moment, the real Maddie walked in the room. She promptly did a double take as she passed Jazz. "Danny, would you mind telling me what I'm doing on the couch?"

"Well, Vlad--"

Maddie put her hand up. "Never mind. It's probably just going to hurt my head."

"It's best to go with that theory, Mom."

The standing Maddie shook her head. "'Mom'?" She looked to Danny. "What's going on?"

Danny shrugged. "I found Jazz."

"Jazz?!" Maddie ran over and hugged her daughter. "I was worried that something happened to you."

"Well…this would definitely constitute 'something'. I never noticed how good you look. I mean, this body…I feel like I'd have looked this incredible if I lived long enough."

"Well, chasing ghosts keeps me fit."

"Oh, come on!"

"I guess I should do something about this." Jazz walked toward the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"To my room", she said as she reached the landing.

Maddie turned back to her son. "Thanks for finding her, Danny."

"It's nothing, but I get the sense that Vlad isn't going to give up without a fight."

"Don't you worry about that. He may be crafty, but so are your father and I. We filed a restraining order on him last night. He comes within a thousand feet…BAM!"

Danny embraced his mother. "You're the greatest, Mom."

"Well, I do try."

XxXxXxXxX

Jazz floated down the stairs. She stretched her arms out, as if to say, 'ta-da'. "I'm back."

"_This is not my beautiful home."_

The woman looked up the stairs. "Who's that?"

"That would be the less-enlightened fake you."

Maddie opened her mouth to speak, but simply walked to the basement. She knew a losing battle when she saw one.

"So, you got free?"

"Yep. I kept the key in my dresser drawer. I'm a little surprised that Bettina didn't think to look for it, least of all here. One would almost think she _liked_ that form." Jazz simply shrugged.

A trail of blue light escaped from Danny's lips. "I think we have company."

The Fenton siblings walked to the window and looked out. A figure appeared over the horizon. It was far away, but the figure's red eyes were a dead giveaway.

Danny slapped his hands on his legs. "I've had enough of this." Jazz watched as he walked to the basement.

"What are you going to do?"

The boy stopped in his path. "I come after him, he comes after me, rinse, repeat. There's no end to it. I'm finishing this, once and for all."

"Danny, don't take it so personally. We'll find a way to keep Vlad away."

"And he'll find a way around it or under it or over or through. He thinks he's smarter than everyone. I've got to be smarter than him." Danny continued toward the basement.

Jazz watched him disappear behind the door.

"_Danny, my boy. What do you need?"_

"_Just this."_

"_Are you sure? I mean, it's a very powerful tool."_

"_Powerful is just what I need."_

"_Danny, you really need to think about this."_

"_Listen to your mother."_

"_I love the both of you, but this is something that_ needs to be done." Danny emerged from the basement, something clutched behind his back.

"Come upstairs. When I give you the signal, call the police."

He looked up the stairs and whistled. "Fake Mom!" The being, assuming that Danny meant her, glanced over the railing and walked downstairs. With his free hand, Danny walked her to the door.

XxXxXxXxX

Danny looked into the sky. A shadowy figure descended on him. In the past, the figure might've inspired fear in the boy, but he held a firm gaze as it stood before him.

"Daniel, I believe you have something that belongs to me."

The boy tugged the duplicate's arm. "I know and you can have her. First, though…" Danny pulled the Peeler from behind his back and activated it. The metal engulfed his flesh, cocooning him in a combination suit of armor and radiation suit. After about a minute, the sequence finished and Danny stood to his feet.

Vlad stared in amusement. "I must say that this is an amusing vignette. However, it is now time to get back to the main story." He growled as he fired blasts at the boy, who managed to dodge them.

Danny tried to get a fix on the older halfa, but he refused to stand still. Vlad floated above him, looking pleased with himself. "Danny, just what is the point of this little game? If it's to tire yourself out, you may well be winning." Vlad shook his head. "That suit of yours looks to be a cumbersome handicap."

A moment of lucidity struck Danny. 'Handicap…weakness.' With a sly grin, he glanced over at Fake Maddie. He looked up at Vlad, who was still talking ("…twenty years of experience. What do you hope to accomplish in such a time…").

"Pssssst! Hey!" The clone looked around and pointed at herself, like she was saying, 'Me?' "Yes."

Quickly obliging, she went to him. He whispered something in her ear.

Vlad soon noticed the exchange. He floated to the ground, a sour look on his face. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Just talking. No law against that, is there?" Danny shrugged his shoulders and pointed upward.

XxXxXxXxX

Jack and Maddie were in the living room, looking out at Danny. His fingers started to twirl.

"Was that the signal?"

Maddie took another look outside. The fingers crooked. "I think so." She started to dial on the keypad of the telephone.

XxXxXxXxX

Danny put his hands down and waved the clone away. She stood at Vlad's side, wrapping him in a hug.

"I love you."

Vlad was taken aback by this. Even if it wasn't the one true Madeline Fenton who had said it, he wasn't about to argue with the culmination of one of his dreams.

"This is actually a sweet moment", Danny said to himself. He raised the Peeler toward Vlad. "…and it's about to get sweeter."

Danny fired at Vlad, the blast knocking him off of his feet. Fake Maddie looked as Vlad tried to recover. Another beam emanated from the device. The duplicate covered her mouth in shock as the beam stripped away Vlad's very being. The caped outfit, the funky hairdo (which, Danny couldn't help but note, resembled that of Spectra), the green skin…all of it disappeared, little by little.

A couple of minutes later, the deed was done. Jack, Maddie, Jazz and the clone all looked on, completely shocked. No one would've thought Danny had it in him to do what he did, but that was before having his best female friend and (however temporarily) his freedom taken from him.

The metal suit retracted into the hand-held device. Danny looked at the being across the street. Its face was hidden by an arm; much the same position that it was in when Danny used the Peeler.

As Danny approached the being cautiously, a hand stretched out and smacked him across the face. An enraged look on his face, Vlad stood up.

Danny looked up at Vlad and scooted back as the man approached him. "Cute trick, Fenton, but it will do you no good." He gritted his teeth and tried to shift into ghost form. Danny smiled a little as Vlad's actions yielded nothing.

A police siren could be heard in the distance. Vlad took several breaths. He stared at Danny. "What have you done? Without my ghost powers, I'm just…"

"Plain ol' Vlad Masters." The siren grew closer. "Oh, and Vlad? You are well within the designated one thousand feet." Danny's smile was a little smug, to be sure, but he felt that he deserved it.

A police cruiser pulled up near the two halfas…well, _one_, anyway. The officers glanced at the police report.

"Violating a restraining order. Amazing." The cop in the driver's seat opened his door. He squinted at the man on the ground. "Hey, that's Vlad Masters."

The expression on his partner's face quickly went from apathetic to livid. "I know him. Bastard makes more in a month than I did in the last two years." He also exited the vehicle.

The driver leaned over the open door and drew his gun. "Freeze!"

Vlad looked over. He slowly stood to his feet. "Officers, good evening. Is there something I--"

The passenger cop trained his weapon. "Hands where I can see them, scumbag!"

The man raised his arms over his head. "There must be some misunderstanding. I was merely visiting some old friends."

"Yeah, well, according to these old friends, you're not supposed to be closer than a thousand feet." The passenger's gaze followed Vlad to Jack and Maddie watching from the window. He approached Vlad, a pair of cuffs drawn.

Vlad backed away. "I'm sure we can discuss this. It's nothing more than a simple misunder--" He took off as fast as his legs would carry him. The cops jumped into their cruiser and took off.

Fake Maddie ran after the car, throwing her hands in the air. "Fight the power! Fight the powers that be!"

Danny shook his head as he stood up. He walked to the door that was opened for him.

XxXxXxXxX

"I still can't believe that you did that."

"That makes two of us, Jazz."

"How did you even know it would work?"

Danny hesitated before answering. He wasn't sure what to tell her; lie or the truth. He took a breath. "I didn't."

Jazz exploded with rage. "What?" She tried to shove her brother, but fell right through him. "You could've killed him and ended up right back in juvenile hall."

"For one thing, Jazz…double jeopardy. Also, it was bound to come down to him or me. In the end, it was him. I mean, he's got all of that money. Maybe he can part with a couple hundred million fixing those emotional problems of his. I mean, it's not like his free time is choked with anything else now."

"You know, I can't help but be reminded of the Spectra incident. Your motives were pure, but your methods weren't. Still…" Jazz kissed her brother on the forehead. "…thanks for looking out for me."

"You're welcome", he said with a blush. Danny walked toward the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"Bed. I'm tired. G'night, Jazz."

She waved. "Night, Danny. I love you."

"I love you, too."

XxXxXxXxX

Vlad sat in his study, his head in his hand. It had been, to say the least, an embarrassing last couple of weeks. He spent time in a holding cell, but was able to make bail.

The tabloids had quite the field day, throwing around such headlines as 'Billionaire in Desperation', 'Leaving Well Enough Alone' and 'Talk About Fight Club!'.

However, he refused to let this get him down. Even though he was pretty much forbidden to go near the woman of his dreams, sway her son or murder her husband, he knew that the situation had a silver lining. Now, if only he could find it.

Meanwhile, Fake Maddie had - mentally, at least - become a teenager, thanks to what she was learning on the idiot box. Her utterances were less insipid, but the tone in which they were delivered was fast becoming a problem; how could teenage girls of today be so ignorant? Vlad had little choice but to blame the pop music and the MTV.

Like Danny, Vlad had a ghost sense. However, it manifested itself as a deep chill down his back instead of a blue stream from his mouth. The chill seemed to work double time, at the moment.

He looked around. The ghost appeared before him. It was Bettina, looking quite fetching in her outfit.

"You. You're Jazz's assistant."

"That status is in transition."

"What are you doing here?" Vlad's tone suggested curiosity more than annoyance.

"Call me crazy, but, while it pleased me to see that…girl get dragged away, I was curious to see what you wanted with her."

"It hardly seems to matter, now, but I had hoped to utilize her knowledge of the ghosts' inner workings to take over the Ghost Zone."

Bettina rolled her eyes; _that_ old scheme.

"But, now, I'm not a ghost but a man. An incredibly wealthy man, but everyone needs their hobbies."

"Wealthy, you say? Just how wealthy?"

"The Fortune 500 has a permanent spot for me in the top five."

Bettina whistled.

"Yes, I know. I had hoped that Jazz would've accepted my generous offer of living in the clone of my lost love."

"That's too bad." She floated around him. "You know, I'm not really doing anything with my…afterlife. How 'bout you and I get together?"

Vlad shook his head. He'd only just met this ghost who, just now, flew out of the room. Could he trust her? What was he to do?

The sound of someone clearing their throat drew his attention. At the entrance of the study stood Fake Maddie. She placed a hand on her hip, showing off her figure. Bettina peeked her head out of the body. "So, what do you think?"

Vlad didn't answer. The clone, in control of her own mind, shook her head. "What are you doing? Gaw! I can't even have privacy in my own body! What the hell!"

Bettina slipped back in. "A world of improvement, right?"

"I suppose I could give it a try." He stood up and took his new paramour by the hand. For the first time in a while, he smiled. "Darling." He spun her around and grabbed her waist from behind.

"Call me…" A devilish smirk crossed the duplicate's features. "Penelope."


	8. Fairy Tale Ending

It had only been a few short years since Danny lost his two girls: Jazz, to oblivion and Sam, to another man. His life devolved into one soul-crushing day after another behind a desk, working a job that, in spite of its decent pay, left him hollow at the end of each day.

Now, however, Danny was on top of the world. Sam had reappeared in Amity Park, shorn of any marital entanglements. Even more, she had a daughter: a wide-eyed bundle of joy named Jane. More than that, the girl was the reincarnation of Jazz. Danny would sometimes muse about her; was it an accident that she was named Jane? Take 'Jasmine' and subtract the first and last two letters and you had 'smi'. Ess mi…It's me. Funny how things work when you're not paying them any strong mind.

Danny had only been on one real date with Sam, but he couldn't help it. The two of them knew each other better than they knew themselves, and that was all the reasoning he needed for what he announced to his parents that night.

XxXxXxXxX

"I'm marrying Sam!" The young man jumped up on the couch and shouted it to the heavens.

Danny jumped to the floor in time for Jack to pat him on the back. "That's wonderful news, son."

"Have you two set a date?", Maddie inquired eagerly.

The young man's mood dissipated a little. "Well…Mom, Sam doesn't really know, yet."

"Danny, this is a decision that you two need to make, together."

"I know, but I really love her. I'd give anything to spend the rest of my life with her." He turned to his father. "Dad, I know you've felt this way about Mom."

"I certainly have. I'd swim the deepest ocean and run the longest mile for her." Jack caressed Maddie's arm. Danny knew that his Dad would stand behind his rather hastily arrived-at decision. "But you still need to let Sam in on this."

Danny threw his head back and groaned. "Fine. I'll tell her."

Maddie brightened. "And when do we get to meet that little girl of hers?" Danny smirked to himself. He promised her that her past life would, for the moment, remain their little secret.

He looked up at his parents. "Sooner or later, that's for sure."

"Wonderful. It will be interesting to see that I have a granddaughter." The wheels began to turn in Danny's head. He smiled. "Only, if you tell her."

Without any trace of recalcitrance, Danny nodded his head. "I will. I just hope that her family warms to the idea."

XxXxXxXxX

"What?"

"Are you kidding?!"

While on their second date, Danny oh-so-subtly made the suggestion to Sam, who wasted no time in giving her answer: a flurry of kisses planted on Danny's face. She soon became eager to tell her parents the good news.

They took it as well as could be expected. Her father, a lean man topped with blonde hair, sat next to her mother, whose usually impeccable strawberry blonde coif flew out of place with her answer.

"Samantha Feinman Manson, you can't get married. You and Danny are just children."

"We're 26. That's old enough to make this kind of decision. Besides, I didn't see you making any objections when I married Lewis…at the ripe old age of 22!"

"Well, that was different!"

Sam folded her arms. "In what way?"

"Well, it…you…but…" Clearly, Pamela was stuck for an answer; definitely not the kind of position to be in when arguing with your child. She'd have waved a white flag were it not for the look on her daughter's face. It said, 'give up; you've already lost'. "You're not marrying him, and that's that!"

"Why not?! Danny makes me happy. I'm your daughter. Doesn't my happiness mean _anything_ to you?"

Pamela let out a small gasp, as if she'd been stabbed in the heart. The expression on her face did little to destroy the illusion.

Taking her silence to heart, Sam continued. "That's it, isn't it? I can't believe I never saw this before: you just don't like Danny! Admit it! You don't like him and you never did. Just admit it."

The woman didn't say anything. Tears stung at her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but they kept coming. She tried to suck it up, but her emotions were too strong. She stood up. "Excuse me." Pamela ran up the stairs, still crying.

Sam angrily watched her as she sat down.

"Don't you think you were a little hard on her?"

"Hard on _her_? I can't even begin to tell you how many wonderful things she's ruined for me. And you were right there with her." She folded her arms. "I knew we should've eloped."

"Samantha, you know that your mother loves you, right?"

"Well, obviously", she cracked.

"And I love you, too."

"Yeah, right."

"Do you also know that a man will agree to any opinion a woman puts forth if it keeps them together?"

Sam did a double take. Her eyes widened; clearly, she wasn't prepared for a response like this.

"I've never had anything against Danny. His family's a different matter, but I thought he was all right. Your mother objected to the friendship. Whenever I'd ask why, she'd change the subject. He seemed nice enough. I really think that you and your mother should talk."

The young woman stood up and looked her father in the eye. "About what? It's like we're two strangers who share a last name and living space. What could we possibly have in common?"

"More than you realize. Please, if not for me, than for yourself."

"Fine." She was tired of fighting. If it made him feel better, she'd talk to her. Sam stalked up the stairs.

"Sam?" She turned around, still scowling. "If it were up to just me, you two would be married by the weekend." Her expression softened, revealing an embarrassed smile.

XxXxXxXxX

"Mom?" Sam knocked on the door. Pamela was on her daughter's bed, sniffling. The dark-haired woman asked the upstairs maid where to find her mother. The woman was under strict orders not to divulge Pamela's location, which she obeyed; in particular, she warned Sam to stay as far away as possible from her old bedroom, adding a wink for good measure.

"I'm already half-dead. Are you here to finish the job?" Pamela looked to the floor.

"Mom, I…I just want to talk."

Without even raising her head, the older woman started to speak. "Did your father put you up to this?"

"He certainly did not. I'm up here because I want to be." Sam glanced around the room. If there was an award for awkward silences… "So…the room looks just how I left it."

"I think the servants were afraid to touch anything in here."

The brunette chuckled. Unfortunately, the lack of any verbal response allowed the silence to continue.

Pamela raised her head as she absently ran a hand along the soft sheets placed on the bed. "I remember when you were a little girl and I'd tuck you in. I'd always tell you the story of the peasant girl and the prince."

"Yeah. This peasant girl found herself with child. She was afraid to tell her parents, so she escaped into the forest. There, she met a handsome and wealthy prince. It was love at first sight and the two were wed, the peasant girl and her young daughter became royalty and they lived nauseatingly ever after."

"Yes, but that's not the whole story."

"Mom, you told me that story every night for eight or nine years. How could it not be the whole story?"

"I…may have left some details out."

"Like what?"

"Like how the peasant girl was…how do I put this?…knocked up and, at the time, living in a dingy, one-room apartment bouncing from temp-job to temp job." Pamela shook her head. "You'd think a college degree would open every door to you."

Sam became worried by the wistful tone in her mother's voice. "Mom, what are you saying?"

"What would you say if I gave you the unedited, uncensored version of the story? Think of it like one of those Grimm fairy tales that wasn't turned into a Disney movie." This garnered Sam's attention; she'd read a few of those stories in college and was surprised by what she had missed.

Pamela took a breath. "I was in high school. There was this boy…Darren. He was something else."

XxXxXxXxX

_Darren walked down the halls of the school like he owned the place. Girls were fawning over him left and right. In between a couple of his groupies was Pamela, her hair in a ponytail. "Hi, Darren." She waved at him and flashed a smile covered in metal brackets._

"We had a couple of classes together; not much more. All the girls loved him, including me."

_His dark hair wafted in the breeze. From behind, he could easily have been mistaken for a girl. He passed Pamela by without even so much as a courtesy glance._

"Unfortunately, he never gave me the time of day."

_Though being ignored by Darren was something of a common thing, Pamela took it in stride. She waved at him. "Okay. I'll see you in World History." She swooned as she took off down the hallway._

XxXxXxXxX

"That's why, among everything else, you weren't on my case about being popular, isn't it?"

Pamela nodded her head. "Then…college rolled around."

XxXxXxXxX

_A much more confident Pamela - she of the long hair and no braces - walked down the pathway along the buildings._

"I had outgrown my puppy dog crush and headed for Stanford. I was going to change the world. I earned a Bachelor's in Civics."

XxXxXxXxX

_Several young people dance along to a techno beat. Pamela stands against a wall sipping a beverage from a plastic cup._

"Then, about five years later, a few of my peers talked me into going to a party. It was there that he recognized me. I became the same fawning, metal-mouthed girl I used to be, but in grown-up clothes."

_Pamela spit out her drink when she realized who was talking to her. "You're that girl who liked me, right?"_

"_One of several, yes." Though he'd gained a few pounds (most noticeably in his face), Darren lost little of his ethereal handsomeness._

"_You wanna go do something?"_

_She took another sip. "Yeah, sure." _

XxXxXxXxX

"There must've been something in that punch, because all I could remember after that was being taken home by my friends."

"Mom, I thought this was unedited; uncensored."

"Sammy, I honestly can't recall the precise acts…but you do understand what happened, right?"

The brunette nodded. "I have a pretty good idea."

XxXxXxXxX

_Pamela typed at a computer terminal and clutched her stomach. She ran to the bathroom and vomited into a toilet._

"Cut to four months later and I'm not feeling so good."

_Wearing a hospital gown, Pamela sits on a bed. A doctor walks up to her and she gasps._

"I soon found out that I was pregnant. The bastard skipped town. I didn't dare tell my parents. I just went on with my life."

_Pamela walked down the street. She clutched her stomach and fell to the ground._

"One day, I had to be rushed to the hospital. I couldn't tell if it was stress or pain, but I just collapsed. I was fine, but I was more worried about the baby."

_Pamela sat in a wheelchair. She passed by a young man with blonde hair. An unusual sight to be sure, the woman thought._

"I don't really believe in fate, but I can't think of any other explanation for what happened."

"_Hello." Pamela looked around, making sure that she was the one being addressed. There wasn't anyone else around. "Why are you here?"_

"_Oh, I just had a procedure; nothing major. Yourself?"_

"_My sister's recovering from an appendectomy." The man looked down at Pamela's stomach. "You know, it's always nice to have strong support from a husband when a woman is in the hospital."_

"_Not that it's any of your business, but I don't have a husband."_

"_Well, at the very least, your boyfriend should be here."_

"_I don't…really have a boyfriend."_

"_That's just a shame. A real man would take responsibility for his actions, not leave an innocent woman alone to fend for herself. Well, it was nice meeting you." The man got up, but Pamela grabbed his arm._

"_Pamela. Feinman."_

"_Jeremy…Manson."_

"Wait?! You mean that…"

XxXxXxXxX

"You were an unplanned pregnancy. I'm not perfect, I know and, in hindsight, it was foolish to expect that of others." Pamela exhaled deeply.

"So that man downst--"

"Samantha! He is, always was, and will always be your father! He may not have sired you, but in all the ways that matter, he _is_ your father. He even put me up in a guest room in his home." The woman pointed to a corner. "In fact, my bed was right there."

The brunette slowly shook her head. "No way. But why are you telling me this?"

"Darren wasn't the kind of guy who expressed his emotions. I noticed that in Danny. I knew you liked him, but he never expressed any emotions for you, either. I wanted to keep you from making my same mistakes." Pamela took her daughter's hands in her own. "Everything I've done over the years, I did because I thought it was best for you. I thought that Lewis would be your Jeremy, but it _was_ Danny, all along, wasn't he?"

"Yes, Mom." Sam's tone was muted, yet her expression spoke so much louder.

"I don't know if you'll ever forgive me, but I am truly sorry." The woman felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

"Mom…mommy…I love you." Sam started to choke up. "I'm sorry if I haven't shown it, enough."

Pamela returned the gesture. She rested her head on her daughter's. "I know that you and Danny love each other, but are you sure you don't want to wait a while before diving into marriage?"

"And how old were you when you and Dad got hitched?"

Pamela snorted. "Good point." The women giggled.

XxXxXxXxX

Within weeks, the wedding preparations began. Danny was all too happy to receive the consent of Sam's parents, whom he'd grown to admire. The ceremony took place six weeks after the reconciliation of mother and daughter.

Having been dragged to a number of cousin's weddings growing up, Sam insisted on having input into the planning party. Her suggestions included the menu (strictly vegan), the music (a string quartet; during her time at her aunt and uncle's, she'd grown fond of them) and her dress (modest; "I don't want anyone riding on my train.").

The ceremony went off without a hitch: the church (there was a debate over the venue, as Danny's mother-in-law was Jewish, but it wasn't until Jack and Maddie entered the discussion that a compromise was made; it could've mattered less to the young couple, who would gladly have been married by a scarecrow in a corn field) was packed. Jane made for an adorable flower girl. Danny and Sam made their vows and sealed their love with a kiss.

The guests cheered them on as they left, pelted with rice.

They wanted nothing more than to go on their honeymoon.

XxXxXxXxX

There was still, however, the matter of the reception.

Congratulatory words were spoken to the happy couple by each of their parents, as well as the best man, Tucker. He couldn't help but throw in a few cracks about how their mutual affection was fairly obvious. Danny, jokingly, promised his bride that he'd make him pay for that.

Following the first dance between bride and groom, the guests were allowed onto the dance floor. Jack and Maddie danced together, as did Jeremy and Pamela. Tucker danced with Jane; her standing on his feet.

After a short while, the Mansons switched partners with the younger Fentons. Jeremy took his daughter, leaving Danny with his mother-in-law.

The young woman looked into the man's eyes. "Daddy..."

He returned the gesture. "Sammy…"

"Mom told me the whole story."

"Well, Sam, I…we had meant to tell you, but we…"

"I never said this, but…thank you for saving my mother and I." Sam fell into her father's embrace. He held her as they moved along. A few feet away, Pamela danced with Danny.

"You're very light on your feet."

"Well, I've had practice." Not so much dance lessons as the life of a ghost, which allowed him to tread lightly.

"I can't believe I tried keeping you and Sam apart." She looked soulfully into his eyes. "Can you ever forgive me…son?"

"You brought Sam into this world. As far as I'm concerned, that's all the apology I'll ever need…Mom."

Pamela hugged the young man tightly. Not that far from the two of them, Tucker was dancing with Jane.

"You're a terrific dancer."

"Thank you", the girl replied in her high yet adult-intoned voice.

A young Hispanic woman walked up to the two of them. "May I cut in?" Her voice was sweet, carrying the faintest hint of an accent.

"Oh, sure. Save me another dance." The couple watched Jane run to Jack and Maddie, who had since returned to their seats.

Tucker and the woman glanced over at the girl as she giggled. "Isn't she cute, Tucker?"

"Yes, she is."

The woman sighed. "It makes me think about having children of our own."

A big gulp slid down his throat. "Children? Ana, I'm not sure if we should--"

"You're right. We'd have to be married first."

"Married? So soon?"

"Oh, Tucker, I accept!" Ana wrapped her arms around him, the force of her knocking him to the ground. She bared a striking resemblance to Paulina in spite of her insistence that they were not related and she was as caring as the former classmate was self-involved. However, they were similar in that they could focus on something to the point where nothing else mattered.

Danny and Sam returned to each other's arms as a song started to play. It was "From This Moment".

They stared into each other's eyes, secure in the knowledge that nothing would come between them and that they would be happy, forever.

Sam was resting peacefully in her bed. It had been quite the honeymoon; she and Danny had joined together in a way that neither had expected. Nothing they learned in health class compared to the real thing.

She hiccupped and, at that moment, she became intangible, sinking through the floor. As she opened her eyes, she was halfway into the kitchen. As there was someone in the kitchen, Sam couldn't scream. She couldn't alert anyone to her present condition and, even if she did, what in the world would she tell them?

Thinking quickly, Sam grabbed onto a cabinet door. She breathed a sigh of relief that her expertise with the rope climb in gym kept her from a) losing her grip and b) screaming bloody murder.

She looked down to the counter. She slowly lowered herself down until her foot was on the counter. Within moments, the other foot set down. Sam took a breath as she hopped to the floor.

Sam eyed the fruit bowl on the table. She plucked an orange from the pile. Heck, as long as she was down here…

She looked up at the ceiling. Did that just happen, and, if so, why?

XxXxXxXxX

Night rolled around quickly for Sam. She didn't dare tell anyone of the 'incident'. Danny walked up to the bed and sat at the edge.

"Hey."

"Hey." She smiled. "How'd it go, today?"

"You know…nothing much. You?"

"The same."

"I still can't believe it; the two of us. We're going to have our own family."

"We already have our own family; you, me and Jane. This baby isn't coming for a while, now."

Danny nodded. "I can't believe how eager we were on the honeymoon."

"A couple of crazy kids in love. Why hold back?"

"Why, indeed?" Sam sat up and puckered her lips. Danny met them with a kiss. Two more kisses followed. Danny crawled under the sheets with Sam and snaked his arms around her form, spooning her. The embrace lasted the night.

XxXxXxXxX

The next day, once again, found Sam in bed while Danny was at work. She insisted that she try to find a job, but Danny wanted her to rest. The safety of his wife and unborn child were important to him, and there would've been plenty of time for her to work in the future.

Another hiccup came from her lips. Sam felt herself slip through the bed once again, but she leapt up from it and jumped to the floor. She stood on the solid wood looking quite pleased with herself. Still another hiccup came out, which caused her to sink through the floor.

XxXxXxXxX

There was insulation, wiring and paneling. This was the crawlspace. Fearful that she'd solidify within the walls, Sam leapt blindly out for the split second that she was still intangible.

XxXxXxXxX

She solidified and flew right into the arms of her husband, who fell over.

"You know, all this stress can't be good for the baby", Danny cracked as he helped Sam to her feet.

"The baby? What about the mother?"

XxXxXxXxX

Days later, the couple went to the hospital for an ultra sound to make sure that the baby was all right. The good news was that the baby was perfectly fine…but for every bit of good news, there had to be some bad news. The baby was conceived with Sam's human DNA and Danny's half-human/half-ghost DNA, and the child's intangibility spread to its mother.

Something had to be done, otherwise, Sam may have been in danger of sinking into the ground. One day, while her husband visited her in-laws, they remembered an element which may have been able to solve her problems: Unobtainium. This somewhat rare element was primarily used to burrow under the surface of the Earth. With its properties, it also had a chance of keeping Sam above ground. It was the main element used for the Fenton Thermos, so a decision was made. Sam's bed, shower and shoes would, for the duration of her pregnancy, have to be lined with Unobtainium.

XxXxXxXxX

Several months passed and, in spite of the class differences, the Fentons and the Mansons had gotten along quite well. This was, in no small part, because their own children had gotten along so well. The adults had openly admitted that they weren't very big on each other's hobbies in the past - Jack and Maddie with their ghost-hunting and Jeremy and Pamela with their protests - and, even now, they themselves weren't thrilled with how they wasted their time, but one could certainly see that they were friends.

The Unobtainium worked as well. Sam slept peacefully and enjoyed walking around outside without fear of sinking.

The birth process lasted a good 19 hours. It would've been longer, had it not been for her husband.

Several thoughts and emotions raced through Danny's mind: the excitement of having a child, the worry of his wife going through so much pain, the fear that she might not-- He quickly shook away such thoughts. Sam was going to make it. They were going to live a long life together raising their daughter, Jane, and their new child. They would travel the world, seeing the many sights they talked about in their youth.

Danny stood at a candy machine, clutching a dollar that his father was kind enough to lend him. He placed the dollar inside and pressed 'C4'. The candy bar was pushed forward by the spiral grid and just as it was about to fall, it stopped. A look of disbelief crossed the young man's face. He was about to scream when he looked around. The hallway was deserted.

He allowed his hand to become intangible and run through the Plexiglas, grabbing the candy.

Danny returned to the waiting room, enjoying the spoils of victory. Suddenly, he looked up, as if a brilliant idea entered his brain.

After excusing himself, Danny searched the hospital for a set of scrubs as well as protective gear. He made his way to Sam's room, where, even with a murderous look on her face, she was every bit the angel he loved. He went intangible and went inside the room, sneaking past the doctors.

Danny said a silent prayer, hoping that what he planned on doing would work. He placed his hands on Sam's stomach, causing it to become intangible. In the haze of anger and medication, Sam could feel cold hands on her. She thought for a moment, then whispered, 'Danny?' One of a pair of bright green eyes winked in response from the side.

In a matter of moments, the baby slipped out of Sam, leaving the both of them unharmed.

Soon, Sam was allowed to hold her baby. The families came rushing in to see her.

A jumble of questions were lobbed at her, all boiling down to 'are you all right?'.

Sam nodded. "Danny?" The woman's voice was soft and strained. The young man walked toward his wife. "Say hello to your son." The baby was wrapped in a blanket, sleeping. Danny wiped a few tears from his eyes.

"Hello, son."

Pamela stepped forward. "Do you know what you're going to name him?

Sam looked up at her mother. "Jacob. Jacob Wilhelm Fenton." She and Danny looked down at their child, as their parents looked on.

Even though the two of them would eventually get their own place, they remained close to their families. After a year, they felt close enough to reveal Danny's secret to her parents. They were surprised, but also amazed at what their son-in-law had accomplished.

Surprisingly, Danny never needed to use his powers for ghost-fighting after that. Jazz's work with the ghosts had worked wonders. To his relief, he was able to concentrate on his family.

Having a son with ghostly abilities proved to be more challenging than he expected. Jake, as he would eventually be called, was eager to fly and become invisible just like his old man. Jane groaned at the déjà vu that she was facing because of her spectrally-endowed younger brother, but she loved him almost as much as she did Danny.

As much as he wanted to tell Sam, Danny never did tell her that Jane was really Jazz. He would hint at it, from time to time (which drove Jane crazy), but she never caught on. A few times as she slept, he'd tell it to her, but it never seemed to stick.

The profits from Jack and Maddie's book, "Understanding Ghosts", turned a tidy profit, earning them financial security for as long as they lived.

Vlad never did learn the truth about his wife, Penelope. She flirted with the idea of telling him, but his happiness (not to mention the incredible life of luxury) meant too much.

Oh, and Danny eventually did get his wish to go into space. The capability of his father-in-law's string-pulling left him flabbergasted yet deeply respectful. The wonders of space were impressive and he was grateful for the opportunity, but he missed his wife. Sam, meanwhile, couldn't have been prouder. The whole of his family was proud, but - as cliché as it sounded - it didn't mean much without her.

Danny and Sam had very little to worry about in their lives. With their families and their children, they were rich in spirit as well as in finances. The two of them finally received their happy ending…together.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: It started with a few lines between Danny and Vlad, and it soon blossomed into something more. I almost never write sequels to my material (my motto: "If a story doesn't have closure, it doesn't have anything."), but this just wouldn't leave me alone.

Thanks for reading and reviewing and have a nice day.


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